Basic tasks in OneNote for Windows 10

Create a new notebook

OneNote for Windows 10 is pre-installed on Windows 10. When you use it for the first time, a default notebook is created for you. You can use this default notebook and add your own pages to it, or you can create a new, blank notebook at any time.

1. On any page, in the upper left click the Show Notebook List button .

2. At the bottom of the pane that appears, click + Notebook.

3. Enter a name for the new notebook, and then click Create Notebook.

   OneNote switches to the new notebook, which contains a new section and a new, blank page.

Learn more about how to create a new notebook.

Switch notebooks

To switch between multiple notebooks:

1. On any page, in the upper left click the Show Notebook List button .

2. In the pane that appears, select the name of the notebook you’d like to switch to.

Type or write notes

To take typed or handwritten notes, do any of the following:

• Click or tap anywhere on the current page and start typing.

• Click or tap the page header at the top of the page (over the date and time stamp) to type a page title.

• Click or tap anywhere else on the same page to begin a new note and then start typing.

• Use either the pen or stylus that came with your device to handwrite notes directly on a touchscreen. If you want to use your finger to draw or write, click the Draw tab, click or tap a pen you want to use, click the downward-facing arrow next to the pen to select an ink color, and then start drawing.

Learn more about how to draw on a OneNote page.

Save your notes

There’s no Save button in OneNote for Windows 10. That’s because OneNote automatically saves and syncs everything for you, no matter how small or large your changes are.

If you change your mind about something you’ve recently added or changed, click or tap the Undo button near the top left of the app window.

Select text with touch

To select text on a page, do the following:

1. Double-tap the text you want to select.

2. Adjust your selection by dragging the two selection handles to the beginning and end of the text you want to select.

When a line or paragraph of text is selected, you can cut, copy, format, move, or delete it.

Learn more about how to use touch to work with a OneNote page.

Format text

To change the appearance of text:

1. Select the text you want to format (with a mouse and keyboard, click and drag; on a touch device, double-tap a word and drag the selection handles).

2. On the Home tab, select the formatting you’d like to apply (font, font size, bold, italic, underline, color, lists, indents, and so on).

If you change your mind, about any formatting you have applied, click or tap the Undo button near the top left of the app window.

Learn more about how to work with text.

Draw and highlight your notes with ink

To draw or highlight key information in your notes:

1. On the Draw tab, click or tap the Pen or Highlighter that you want to use, click the downward-facing arrow that appears next to your selection, and then select your preferred ink color.

   Tip: If the color you want isn’t shown in the palette, click More Colors.

2. If necessary, click the downward-facing arrow next to your pen or highlighter selection again, and then choose the thickness for the ink strokes you will draw by doing either of the following:

   • Click or tap the + symbol as often as you want to increase the pen or highlighter thickness.

   • Click or tap the – symbol as often as you want to decrease the pen or highlighter thickness.

3. Draw or handwrite your notes on the screen.

If you want to remove anything you’ve drawn or highlighted, click or tap the Eraser button on the Draw tab. With the eraser selected, tap the ink or highlighter strokes that you want to erase.

Learn more about how to work with ink on a OneNote page.

Add tags

Tags let you mark and prioritize important notes visually so you can easily follow up on them again later.

1. To tag a note, click or tap any line of text you’ve typed or written.

2. On the Home tab, choose one of the following:

   • Click or tap the To Do tag to add a check box in front of the line of text. This is useful for items in a list of tasks that you need to complete.

   • Click or tap the down arrow next to the To Do icon and choose one of the other tags (Important, Question, Critical, Contact, Address, or Phone Number).

Add links

You can format text in OneNote for Windows 10 so it becomes a link.

1. Select the text you want to format (with a mouse and keyboard, click and drag; on a touch device, double-tap a word and drag the selection handles).

2. Click or tap Insert > Link.

3. If necessary, change the words shown in the Text to display box.

4. Type the URL in the Address box, and then click or tap Insert.

Learn more about inserting links on pages..

Insert a picture

You can insert pictures from your computer’s camera, a file, or from online on your computer or device.

To insert a picture from your camera:

1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a picture.

2. On the Insert tab, click or tap Pictures.

3. Select From Camera.

   If prompted, allow OneNote to use your computer’s camera.

4. When the live image appears in your camera, tap the screen to take the picture.

5. Click or tap Insert All to insert the captured picture (or pictures).

To insert a picture from a file:

1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a picture.

2. On the Insert menu, tap Pictures, and then select From File.

3. Navigate to the location of the picture you want to insert, tap the picture to select it, and tap Open.

To insert a picture from online:

1. On the Insert menu, tap Pictures., and then select From online.

2. In the pane that opens, search for a picture you'd like to insert, and then click or tap the picture to insert it.

Insert documents and files into notes

To insert a document or file into OneNote:

1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a document or file.

2. On the Insert tab, click or tap File.

3. Navigate to the location of the file you want to insert, select it, and then click or tap Open.

Learn more about using files with OneNote.

Insert a table

To add a new table to your notes:

1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a table.

2. Tap the Insert menu, and then tap Table.

   OneNote creates a small table with one row and two columns.

3. Tap in the first cell and start typing.

To move to the next column (or to create a new column), press the Tab key on your keyboard. To create a new row of cells, place the cursor in the last cell on the right, and then press Enter. If you don’t have a keyboard, click the Table tab to change or format the table.

Learn more about how to work with tables.

Add more pages

You can add as many notes to a page as you want, but adding more pages to your notebook will help you keep things organized.

To add a new page, do the following:

1. At the bottom of the page list on the left side of the app window, click or tap + Page.

   If you don’t see this button, first click or tap the Show Notebooks button near the top left of the OneNote app window.

2. When the new page appears, type a page title above the date and time stamp.

Add more sections

You can keep all your pages in a single notebook section, but adding more sections over time as your notebook grows will help you keep things organized.

To create a new section, do the following:

1. At the bottom of the sections list on the left side of the app window, click or tap + Section.

   If you don’t see this button, first click or tap the Show Notebooks button near the top left of the OneNote app window.

2. When the new section appears, type a new name to describe the notes you’ll keep in the new section, and then press Enter.

The new section contains a single, blank page. You can begin taking notes on this page and add additional pages whenever you need them.

Print notes

You can print a hard copy of any page in your notebook. You can select many common sizes, such as legal, letter, A4, photos, PDF, and many more.

1. Under Printer, select the printer that you want to use.

2. Under Copies, select how many copies you want to print.

3. Under Orientation, select if you want to print in Portrait (tall pages) or Landscape (wide pages).

4. Under Pages, select if you want to print the Current Page, the Current Section, or the Current Notebook.

5. To print to PDF, Under Printer, select Microsoft Print to PDF.

6. To select a page size, click or tap More settings and then under Paper and quality select a size.

   You can select among many common sizes, such as legal, letter, A4, photos, and many more.

Learn more about printing in OneNote.