Microsoft has revealed some new features it has added to its OneNote for Windows app during the month of October. They include features for users who have digital pens, along with some new layout improvements, and more.
In a blog post, Microsoft stated:
With the text pen selected from the Draw tab, you can convert your handwriting to text as you write and edit your converted notes with natural gestures, such as selecting text with a strikethrough, deleting text by scribbling over it, and more. We’ve also added tools to help you better annotate, take handwritten notes, and draw. This includes an all new Draw tab, improved ink reliability, and a quick shortcut to get help specifically built for ink!
OneNote for Windows has also added text prediction, so when you type in some words, the app will attempt to show which word or words you will likely type in next, which should hopefully save you some time. This new feature will require a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Microsoft has also added the Vertical Tabs option to OneNote for Windows in its View menu. If you are a big user of Teams or Outlook, the Vertical Tabs view should help you navigate the OneNote app better.
Microsoft will soon add another feature to OneNote that we have written about previously for Microsoft 365 Insiders. It will soon let OneNote for Windows play Stream (on SharePoint) videos inside the app.
Finally, the blog stated that OneNote for Windows will add the previously announced Copilot AI feature sometime in November. It stated:
Copilot in OneNote helps you create, capture, organize, and recall information with confidence. As your AI-powered notetaking partner, Copilot uses your prompts to draft plans, summarize your notes, generate ideas, create lists, organize information, and more.
Keep in mind that the OneNote app for Windows is the one that Microsoft is concentrating most of its development on. The OneNote app for Windows 10 is scheduled to stop receiving updates sometime in October 2025.