Contents
Top 7 OneNote Notebook Tips and Tricks
Microsoft OneNote is a veteran note-taking app in the Office productivity suite. It has evolved over time, with added features and cross-platform availability. OneNote’s unique organization approach sets it apart from rivals like Evernote and Bear Notes. Instead of relying on tags, OneNote uses a traditional notebook-style format for note organization.
You can create a notebook in OneNote, add sections, and use pages for notes. It’s an effective way to organize pages. The system helps users find notes easily.
You can create multiple notebooks in OneNote. The software also lets you color-code notebooks, password-protect sections, share notebooks, and more.
In this post, we’ll discuss the top seven OneNote notebook tips and tricks for using it effectively. Let’s get started.
1. Create a New Notebook
OneNote lets you create multiple notebooks for different subjects. Open the OneNote app on your desktop and tap on ‘Add notebook’ at the bottom. You can add a Notebook from OneDrive or create a new one from scratch. Select ‘New’ and add a title. Choose a notebook color to personalize it. All the Notebooks appear in the Microsoft OneDrive > OneNote folder. You can’t change the online location of the notebooks as OneNote relies on OneDrive cloud service to sync data among platforms and devices.
2. Sync Notebook
Microsoft OneNote lacks seamless syncing, which often results in slow syncing of notes across devices. To ensure that recently added data goes to OneDrive, it is advisable to periodically sync the OneNote notebook. You can do this by opening the notebook menu, right-clicking on the notebook name (double-click for Mac users), and selecting the ‘Sync This Notebook’ option. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + S for Windows or Command + S for Mac to sync the notebook. If you want to enhance your productivity with OneNote, check out our list of keyboard shortcuts for the software.
3. Change Notebook Color
You can change the OneNote notebook color anytime. To do so, open the OneNote notebook list, right-click on the notebook name, and select a color from the options available. Choose a color that relates to the notebook content.
Users cannot share a section of a notebook, only the entire notebook. To share a notebook on OneNote, there are two methods. The first method is to open the notebook list, right-click on the notebook, and choose one of three options: “Invite People to Notebook,” “Copy View-only Link to Notebook,” or “Copy View and Edit Link to Notebook.” The second method is to open any note in OneNote, tap on the Share button at the upper right corner, and select one of the aforementioned options. This method also allows for the sharing of a PDF version of the notebook.
5. Password-Protect a Section in Notebook
Unfortunately, you cannot password-protect an entire notebook in OneNote. Instead, you can password-protect a section by opening a notebook and going to any section. Right-click on the section, select Password Protect, and add your password to keep your secret notes safe.
6. Change Notebook Location
As mentioned earlier, you can’t change the default OneNote Notebook location to any other cloud storage. However, you can change the Notebook location in OneDrive web or app.
To do this, open OneDrive web and go to the OneNote folder. Here, you will see all the created notebooks in the OneNote app. Select the notebook you want to move, then click Move from the toolbar.
Go to the folder and paste the notebook.
7. Close and Delete Notebook
After finishing work on your notebook, you can temporarily close it. Open the notebook list in OneNote, select ‘Close This Notebook,’ and it will remove the notebook from OneNote. However, don’t worry, as the notebook is still accessible on OneDrive and can be opened at any time from the app.
To delete a notebook, close it in OneNote and then delete it in OneDrive. You can do this by going to the notebook location and selecting the notebook, then choosing the delete option from the toolbar.
Start Your OneNote Journey
OneNote is free and available on all platforms. Its cross-platform support makes it a viable choice over other note-taking options. Use these tricks to maximize OneNote and master it with our dedicated post on OneNote tips and tricks.
Next up: OneNote also offers a PDF function in the app. Read the post below to find the top OneNote PDF tips and tricks.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
My articles cover a wide range of topics, from troubleshooting out-of-sync audio on TikTok and managing Firestick devices, to understanding the impact of Capcut on video quality and resolving sound issues on Hisense Roku TVs.
I also delve into more general tech tips, like how to block numbers on landlines or use VPNs without Wi-Fi. My goal is to make technology more accessible and less intimidating for everyone, whether you’re a tech novice or a seasoned user. I strive to offer clear, concise, and helpful advice to make your digital experience smoother and more enjoyable.