Whether you’ve been using Samsung Notes for a long time or have just started, you might not be using it to its full potential. For instance, did you know you can convert handwritten notes into text, summarize notes, and directly copy web content into Samsung Notes? These are just a few examples. Below, I’ve shared useful Samsung Notes tips and tricks to help you make the most of Samsung Notes.
Table of Contents
1. Sync Your Notes to Microsoft OneNote
One of the major concerns you might have when switching to Samsung Notes is accessing them from non-Samsung devices. Thankfully, there is an option to sync your Samsung notes directly with the OneNote app. To do this, go to the Notes settings and select the Sync to Microsoft OneNote option. That’s it! Now you can easily view your Samsung Notes on Microsoft OneNote.
2. Turn Handwritten Notes to Text Format (S Pen Only)
One of the coolest Samsung Notes tricks is the ability to convert handwritten notes into text format. It’s incredibly simple. Just tap on the Convert to Text button (the T icon with a scribble), select the portion you want to convert, and then hit the Convert button.
If you wish to convert specific handwritten notes, tap the Lasso button (the dotted cloud icon), select the handwritten notes, and choose the Convert to Text option from the pop-up menu.
Tip: Samsung Galaxy phone users need to tap the Pen with Sparkle icon to access the Convert to Text option.
3. Convert Hand-Drawn Shapes to Precise Geometry (S Pen Only)
Another advantage S Pen users have over regular Samsung Galaxy users is the ability to convert hand-drawn shapes into more precise and geometric shapes. Just tap the Auto-fix shapes button (circle on top of a triangle icon), draw your desired shape, and it will automatically correct it for you.
4. Galaxy AI on Samsung Notes
If you have been using Gemini or ChatGPT to summarize text, auto-format long paragraphs, spell check, or translate notes, you can stop doing that. Now, you can perform all of these tasks directly within your Samsung Notes. Simply select the text and hit the stars icon (Note Assist) to access a list of available features.
Note: Galaxy AI is only available on selected devices with One UI 6.1 or later versions. If your device is not on the list below, you will not see the Note Assist icon in the Notes app.
Also Read: Here are even more Galaxy AI features.
5. Transcribe Your Recording into Notes
Note Assist feature is not just inside the Samsung Notes app, it can also be found in Samsung’s Voice Recorder app. Any voice or call recording you take can easily be transcribed using AI and then later, you can add it to your notes. But it doesn’t stop there – you can even summarize the recording before adding it to your notes. This feature is especially handy if you record a meeting and want to quickly get the key points without listening to the whole thing again.
6. Directly Copy Web Content to Notes
If you’ve found important information on a website and want to quickly copy the entire page to your note for future reference, open a blank note and the webpage in the Samsung Internet browser in split screen mode. After that, an option to copy the whole page will appear in the note. Once copied, you can annotate, draw, or collaborate to work together.
Note: This trick won’t work on any other Android browser
7. Create a Cover for Your Notes
From my college days, I’ve had a habit of jotting down important stuff in my notes app. However, one thing I’m bad at is keeping the notes well-organized, even though I always wanted to. Basically, I’m just being lazy here. But thanks to the new generative cover feature in Samsung Notes, I can add a cover page for all my notes with one tap. This makes my notes look much more professional and visually appealing.
This Samsung Notes trick works so well that it even provides a small snippet on the cover page to give me a rough idea of what the note is about. And of course, if you don’t like the cover page, you can always customize it manually or disable it completely.
8. Password Protect Your Notes
You may have added personal or sensitive information to your notes that you don’t want anyone else to access. Thankfully, you can password-protect individual notes on Samsung Notes. To do this, simply tap and hold the note, then select the Lock option. For first-time users, the app may ask you to verify your email account before you can set a password for your notes.
To make your notes even more secure, you can move them to the Secure Folder. For more information, you can follow our tips on using Secure Folder on Samsung Galaxy phones.
9. Save Notes in Other Formats
I’m not sure how many people are aware of this, but you can save your notes in various formats, such as PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, images, and text. To do this, open the note, tap the kebab menu (the three-dotted icon), and select the Save as file option. From there, you can choose your preferred format.
10. Image Customization in Notes
This tip I bet you will love. Unlike other note-taking apps, you don’t just add an image to the note and call it a day. There’s more to it in Samsung Notes. For instance, after adding an image, you can crop it into any shape using the lasso crop tool, add filters or stickers, and even resize the image. So next time you add images to your notes, don’t just add them – customize them to your heart’s content.
11. Annotation in PDF
Another aspect where I find Samsung Notes particularly useful is its PDF annotation capabilities. I remember receiving my offer letter in PDF format and needing to digitally sign it before sending it back. Previously, I had to use a random website for this, but now I no longer have to risk my data by uploading my PDF to other sites. With Samsung Notes, I can complete the same task directly.
12. Customize the Page Design
The page customization in Samsung Notes is so sick, you will love making your notes truly unique. You can choose from various page templates to suit your writing needs, adjust the page direction, and change the background color. That’s not all – if you have many pages, you can also reorder them for better organization and flow. You can find the settings for all of these in your notes menu.
13. Quickly Take Notes (S Pen Only)
If I have an idea or something important comes up, I instantly jot it down, and it gets saved in the Notes app. The only drawback I see here is how cluttered my Samsung Notes will become. But to be frank, I am not the kind of person who likes to keep his notes organized. So if you’re like me, you should know these 3 ways to quickly jot down notes:
- Open Notes Quickly: If you want to open the notes on top of any app, simply press and hold the Pen button, then tap the screen twice with your S Pen to create a new note. To enable this feature, toggle on the Quick Notes feature in the S Pen settings, and you’re good to go.
- Automatic Note Page: If you don’t want the hassle of pressing the Pen button to open notes, you can select the Create Note option in the “When S Pen is Removed” setting. Now, as you remove the S Pen, it will automatically open the notes.
- Screen-Off Memo: This is my favorite way to quickly jot down notes. I just have to remove the S Pen while the screen is off and start writing on the screen. If I want, I can pin the note on the lock screen, and it will remain on the screen for a few hours. Keep in mind that you’ll need to enable the Always-On Display feature to pin notes to the lock screen.
That’s all from my side. I hope you learned new Samsung Notes tips and tricks from this article. As I discover more hidden features in Samsung Notes, I will update this article as soon as possible.
