Top 10 Online and Mobile Note Taking apps

Latest news about Online and Mobile Note Taking apps

2020. Collaborative meeting notes platform Hugo nabs seed funding



Hugo, collaborative note-taking app focused on sharing meeting notes across teams within companies to reduce redundancy and improve information accessibility, has closed a $6.1 million seed round. Hugo’s software is structured around ensuring that insights from important meetings don’t die in a user’s notepad app or one-off Google Docs files. There are plenty of startups building wiki software, including heavy hitters like Notion, which recently reached a $2 billion valuation. Hugo’s innovation is a platform that integrates more deeply within a user’s calendar, recognizing things like past notes from a meeting with a specific person.


2020. Slite raises $11 million for its internal notes tool



French startup Slite, that lets you collect and organize documentation, create shared documents and build a company handbook, has raised an $11 million Series A round led by Spark Capital with existing investors also participating. Slite is a sort of multiplayer Evernote. Many companies struggle to keep a single source of truth when it comes to corporate policies, project documentation and product roadmaps. Services like Google Docs and Dropbox Paper have partly solved this issue by transforming documents into shareable links. A new category of tools have solved that issue by expanding beyond documents to create a knowledge base for your company. Confluence and Notion are particularly popular among tech companies for instance. Slite wants to build a product that is as simple to use as Google Docs but as powerful as Confluence. Companies with hundreds or thousands of employees should be able to use it without ever feeling lost.

2020. Zoho Notebook intergartes with Slack


Zoho has introduced its Notebook for Slack. With this integration, you can instantly save your Slack messages as notecards in your Notebook, share your thoughts from Notebook as Slack messages, take quick notes, and create notebooks, all from within Slack. Add the Notebook app to your Slack now and improve your productivity multi-fold. Besides, you can create notebooks from Slack using the /addnotebook command and organize your notes into it for your reference anytime. The /notebookhelp command offers the capabilities of Notebook for Slack.


2018. Zoho Notebook integrates with Zapier



Zoho Notebook is now integrated with Zapier. Connect your Notebook account to Zapier with a few simple clicks and you’ll immediately be able to integrate Notebook with over 1,000 apps by zapping them together. Do you use Google Calendar to organize your day? Notebook and Google integration lets you manage your time and work in an efficient manner. When you create a calendar event on Google Calendar, Zapier automatically creates a note card in Notebook. That way, when you get to your meeting or class, you already have a note created, waiting for your thoughts. Looking for a place to save your favorite messages? When you use Zapier to connect Notebook with Slack, the messages you mark as favorites get saved as notecards in the Notebook app.


2018. Zoho Notebook adds business card scanning, deep search, favoriting



Zoho announced latest Notebook update. While it already could capture images and scan documents, now it also allows to scan business cards, as well. To do so, open the Photo Card, then toggle to the “Business Card” option. The new Deep Search allows to search for objects and text within images across your notes and notebooks, just like your text-based notes. Another new feature - Favoriting allows to put notes into a stack on the home screen, giving you the ability to create a master to-do list, or keep important notes on hand. To favorite a note, you can simply swipe one to the left, then tap the star icon. Linking notes is also simple: just tap the link option while editing a note, then select the note to which you want to link.


2018. Evernote refines integrations with Slack and Salesforce



Evernote Business now lets you easier access Evernote content from Slack and Salesforce. It has taken advantage of new Slack Actions to get away from the command interface style that Slack had previously used and make it easier for their core knowledge workers to access Evernote content inside of Slack. Users can take an Evernote note in Slack, which will then show up in Evernote automatically in a “Notes from Slack” folder. The newer Salesforce integration improves the technical connections between the two cloud applications including the ability to “pin” a note to a record. What’s more, once a note is linked there is two-way sync, which means regardless of whether you change that note in Salesforce or Evernote, it will update in both places (because the integration is a live version of Evernote).


2018. Zoho Notebook adds encryption, night mode



Zoho rolled out the Notebook update with some new features. Now everything you store in Notebook is encrypted at rest, making your notes and data incredibly secure.  The new Night Mode should help reduce the strain on your eyes when using Notebook in the dark. Plus the developers added enhanced Apple Pencil support for iOS, new ways to format and style your notes and Right to Left language support, including Arabic, Hebrew, and Urdu.


2017. Zoho launched Notebook for Web


Zoho released the new version of note-taking app Zoho Notebook 4.0 that marks the launch of Notebook for Web. Then there’s also the introduction of Smart Cards, which intelligently format content you add to Notebook across devices. And if those two things aren’t enough, it added document scanning along with a redesigned Photo Card, lots of drag and drop to Notebook for iPad Pro, and several other cross-platform updates. Notebook for Web brings all your notes and notebooks online. You can create Text, Checklist, Photo, and File Cards. To add a custom Notebook cover, simply drag an image from your desktop and drop it on the cover you want to replace. You can create Photo and File Cards in Notebook by dragging and dropping from your desktop, as well. Notes can be grouped, moved, and copied to different notebooks. And both notebooks and notes can be locked with a passcode. If you have a Notebook account, the web app is automatically available.


2017. Evernote integrates with Slack


Evernote built a new integration with the highly popular messaging app Slack. Evernote is where you keep all your ideas, and Slack connects your ideas to other people. By removing the friction between these two tools, you can now spend less time searching and more time doing. By using the /note command in Slack you can jot down your notes, create a to-do list or a reminder—all without leaving the conversation. Or you can use the /clip command to capture messages from Slack and save them (based on date, importance, or URL) as a note in Evernote. With the /find command you can now search for the specific note you need and share a snapshot with the team without leaving Slack.


2017. Zoho Notebook 3.0 adds File Card, Web Clipper for Safari, Import from Evernote



Zoho updated its Notebook app. You can now add and sync PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, and more to Notebook with the brand new File Card. Files can be added from any online or offline storage app. All files added to Notebook are treated as distinct, groupable note cards, rather than mere attachments. When you add files to Notebook, you’ll be able to open them in Zoho Docs, Zoho’s document management application, available on the web and mobile. Besides, the Notebook Web Clipper is now available for Safari and you can import all your notes and attachments from Evernote with the new tool.


2017. Microsoft redesigned OneNote


Microsoft unveiled updated note-taking app OneNote. In this update the developers improved navigation layout- especially for larger notebooks with more sections. Now, the navigation controls are all in one area on the left-hand side of the app. This allows users to easily switch between their notes and dramatically improves usability with assistive technologies. With this update, regardless of what device someone is using, the experience will be the same - allowing users to capture thoughts, jot down notes and get things done more quickly.


2017. Google Keep joins G Suite, gets integration with Docs



Google Keep, a competitor to note-taking apps like Evernote and Microsoft’s OneNote, is now integrated into Google’s suite of applications aimed at businesses, G Suite. Besides, Google Keep is also now being integrated with Google Docs. That means you’ll be able to drag and drop notes from Keep into your work documents. This feature is available via the web only, and requires you first have Docs loaded and open in your browser. Then, you’ll access the Keep notepad from the Tools menu, which places your Keep notes into a sidebar within the Docs user interface. From there, you’ll be able to grab the notes, including images and checklists, and pull them right into your document. In addition, you’re able to search your Keep notes from Google Docs, as well as add a new note to Keep while you’re working in Docs.


2017. Zoho Notebook is available for Mac


Zoho unveiled the version of its mobile note taking app Zoho Notebook for Mac. Notebook for Mac brings mobile-inspired gestures to the desktop, creating an intuitive experience. It works with the MacBook Pro’s new Touch Bar, enabling contextual buttons within the app.  You can navigate the entire app with gestures alone; if you have a trackpad you never have to make a single click. Simply hover over a notebook or note and pinch to open and close them; or two finger swipe to see more information, lock, or delete notes and notebooks. You can create checklists and audio recordings and add photos with dedicated Note Cards; mix and match note types as needed with the Text Card. Personalize your notebook covers by dragging an image from your desktop onto a notebook.


2016. Zoho Notebook 2.0: Clip the Web, Sketch Ideas, Lock Your Notes



Zoho released the new version of note-taking app Zoho Notebook, that includes a Chrome extension, Sketch Card, locking with passcodes and Touch ID, and more. Chrome Web Clipper allows to clip the web and take notes from your browser, Sketch Card allows to take handwritten notes, create simple sketches. And you can now secure your notes, notebooks, and Notebook app with passcodes and Touch ID.


2016. Simplenote app is now Open-Source



Automattic, who also make WordPress, has open-sourced Simplenote - all of its nifty note-taking service’s desktop and mobile apps. Source code for the Simplenote iOS, Android, and macOS apps can be found on the Automattic GitHub page, where it joins the (previously open-sourced) Simplenote Linux & Windows 10 app. Automattic hopes that the open-sourcing will foster “…a great community of contributors from around the world to help make the apps even better.” One thing to note here is that only the applications are being open-sourced. The server-side code that syncs and powers many of the features is not.


2016. Zoho Notebook relaunched as a mobile app


Zoho restarted its Notebook as a free mobile app for iOS and Android, optimized for smartphones and tablets. It introduces the concept of ‘Note Cards’. Note Cards are built-in templates for capturing various types of content inside Notebook. The Text Card lets you capture anything in a note, while a Checklist Card lets you create, well, checklists. There’s also an Audio Card to record voice notes, and a Photo Card to snap moments. All Note Cards feature randomly generated colors that can be customized. You can group Note Cards by pinching them together, then flick a group to view them. In landscape view, Note Cards behave like magnets when you group/ungroup them; you can even collapse your notes like an accordion.


2016. Evernote limits free plan to 2 devices and raises prices



Note-taking app Evernote introduced new pricing policy. The Basic plan remains free, but is now limited to only two devices. That might be sufficient for the average user — Evernote likely wouldn’t deliberately rankle a majority of their free users — but it’s still a considerable limitation. The addition of the passcode lock feature to Basic helps soften the blow, though. Plus, which was $3 per month, now costs $4 (or $35 per year), while Premium went from $6 to $8 per month, or $70 per year. You get 1GB and 10GB, respectively, in those plans, and the specifics of what’s offered (too much to list here) can be found at the Evernote site.


2016. Evernote unveiled new Windows app


Evernote has unveiled a major update of its desktop client for Windows users. The new release provides another user interface revamp and some new features. Notebooks and tags can now be directly accessed, created and deleted from the left-hand pane, which can be minimized to free up screen real-estate elsewhere. Users also gain the ability to define notebooks and tags by color (right-click to do this) for easier identification in the left-hand pane. Business account users now see their personal and business notes visually separated out, with the ability to choose what’s displayed. Mixed note lists have been dropped. Keyboard shortcuts make it quick and easy to toggle between personal and business mode. The new version also comes with the promise of increased stability and performance - search in particularly runs much quicker.


2016. Google Keep gets support for #labels (hashtags)



Note-taking app Google Keep intriduced a new way to organize and categorize notes, and now it’s as easy as using a #hashtag. This should help you keep track of to-do lists for a #trip or a collect your favorite #recipes, for example. Besides, the app now provides a Chrome extension that allows to add webpages to the notebook quickly. Just click the Keep badge to add a site’s link to a note, or select some text or an image and create a new note from the right-click menu.


2016. Microsoft makes it easy to switch from Evernote to OneNote


Microsoft released a new tool that makes it easier for Evernote users to make the transition to rival application OneNote, a part of the Microsoft Office suite. The “OneNote Importer tool,” as the software is called, aims to address the switching costs that can hold back users from making a move to a competing platform. Microsoft even goes for the hard sell here, reminding OneNote potential customers that the app is free on all devices, while Evernote Premium is a $50 per year product. For now the tool is running only on Windows, the version for Mac users is already in the works and will be released in the “coming months.”


2014. Evernote rolls out built-in chat



Online note-taking and collaboration service Evernote has rolled out a new “Work Chat” feature to its web and mobile applications which allows users to discuss ideas and projects directly in the Evernote interface itself, instead of having to shift those conversations over to email. Additionally, when you email a note to someone, it will now show up in Work Chat automatically, allowing you to keep a permanent history of your communications. You can chat with either just one person, or a group, and you can optionally sync the app with your Google Contacts, too. When you start a chat with another user, they’re notified both in the app and via an email message that informs them of the chat and offers a button which, when clicked, launches Evernote.


2014. Evernote unveiled AI tool and new web interface



The most popular note-taking Evernote wants people not just keep using its app to store notes and thoughts regularly, but to use it for ever more purposes: it’s launching Evernote Context — an AI play that will see it surfacing and suggesting new content to you from third party sources as you read and write. This will mean adding a new content feed from third party sources that will appear within Evernote, alongside and relevant to the work that you are doing within the app, wether you are on desktop or another client. Also Evernote unveiled new web app that uses a lot more white space throughout the interface, leaving you with a much cleaner workspace that doesn’t draw your eye to past notes as you add new ones to the same extent as you’d fine the native desktop app.


2014. Cloud note-taking app Notability launches Mac version



Evernote competitor, Notability, which was already available for the iPhone and iPad, is now bringing all the same functionality to the Mac desktop, rounding out all the places where its users might want to access their notes. Notability is knows for its support of wide range of inputs. Users can draw on the mobile and tablet apps, add images and text, and even import and embed documents or web pages directly into their documents, all with audio timestamped against the text or media added. Now that it’s moving to the Mac App Store, Notability will become even more useful. Using iCloud, users will be able to sync and update documents with little hassle and access them on all their Apple devices. The desktop version of the app will cost $9.99 to download, which is above the usual $4.99 price for Notability.


2014. Evernote and LinkedIn integrate business cards into social network


Business card scanning apps were already on the market for some time (i.e. Evernote). They rescue business people from card-full wallets, but don't solve another problem: contacts may change over time. Fortunately, this problem is solved by social networks (especially LinkedIn), where people update their own contact information, and it's automatically updated in their friends' address books. A few days ago LinkedIn integrated with Evernote. Now you just make a photo of business card and your smartphone immediately shows you the person's LinkedIn profile.  You're then given the option to connect with that CEO, secretary or digital prophet on LinkedIn or add their contact info to your address book. However, things get interesting as your business relationship blossoms. Over time, you can add things like audio from a meeting, documents, or even key emails with him or her to the card's page in Evernote.


2013. Automattic acquired note-taking service Simplenote



Popular Mac and iOS note-taking app Simplenote has a new owner. Simperium, the company behind it, is now a part of Automattic, the creator of WordPress. Automattic plans to put more resources behind Simplenote development including improvements to Simperium, the data-syncing service it utilizes. Automattic was able to secure the Simplenote.com domain and has set up a new blog there -- utilizing WordPress, of course -- to keep users updated on exactly what to expect from forthcoming releases.


2007. Zoho launches Google Notebook competitor



The new online note-taking service Zoho Notebook is a direct competitor to Microsoft’s OneNote and Google’s Notebook tools, offering similar functionality in the way content can be added to the Notebook that you’ve grabbed from elsewhere on the web. Notebook enables you to add all kinds of content to your Notebook page, from audio or video, both of which can be imported from places like YouTube, or recorded directly to your Zoho Notebook. Content you find on the web can be selected, then right-click to send it to your Zoho Notebook page, or content can be imported by other means, such as RSS feeds. Zoho Notebook can also be used as a whiteboard. In true Zoho nature, there are several ways in which to collaborate and share information. Each item on your Zoho Notebook page can be shared individually, complete with permission settings for everyone the content is shared with.