2024-07-01
Please add function to make tab groups
Not bad, but upgrading to 6 was definitely not worth it. Don’t upgrade to 6 unless you have to.
Updating
+4
#22 in Top Free iPad Apps
±0
#2 in Top Free iPad Apps > Productivity
-7
#63 in Top Grossing iPad Apps
-1
#6 in Top Grossing iPad Apps > Productivity
iPhone Screenshots
iPad Screenshots
Description
Replace your paper notebooks and reimagine digital note-taking with Goodnotes. Introducing Goodnotes 6!
*Existing Goodnotes users can continue to use Goodnotes 5 or upgrade to Goodnotes 6. Either way, your notes are safe!*
Digital notebooks. Unlimited notebooks for the price of one physical one.
■ Combine both handwriting and typed text on one page, alongside images, stickers, diagrams and doodles.
■ Create digital notebooks with customizable paper templates, including Blank Paper, Ruled Paper, Cornell Paper, Checklists, Planners, and more.
■ Navigate long documents with ease. PDF tables of contents are automatically imported; otherwise create custom outlines yourself.
■ Backup all your notes to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive and use iCloud to sync across iPad, iPhone, and Mac so your notes are always safe.
■ Draw perfect shapes and lines that snap into place with Shape Recognition technology.
■ Edit your writing by resizing it, changing the color of your text, or moving it to another spot on the page.
AI note-taking. Your notes just got way smarter.
■ Write freely on paper that catches every typo or mistake.
■ Always find what you’re looking for. Search your handwritten notes, typed text, PDF text, document outlines, folder titles, and document titles.
■ Forget how to spell a word? Word Complete will give you suggestions to finish your sentences.
■ Use AI to summarize, shorten, change the tone of your words, and otherwise perfect your typed text.
Science-backed learning. Master any topic.
■ Study and practice straight from your notes with Study Sets — flashcards built on active recall and spaced repetition.
■ Find relevant study material like revision notes or textbooks from the in-app Marketplace.
For students: Ace your exams with ease.
■ Record audio notes that are magically synced to the moment you write, perfect for lectures or presentations.
■ Scan any physical notes to import them straight into Goodnotes, where they’ll be indexed using OCR technology. Perfect for past exams, handouts, or miscellaneous pages.
■ Import all your lecture slides, textbooks, and past exams and annotate them directly on your iPad.
■ Ace your math exams with SAT and DSE math prep courses, with built-in AI Math Assistance to catch any mistakes.
■ Search and instantly find any of your notes from any of your classes.
For planners: Let your creativity flow and create notes you can’t stop looking at.
■ Create aesthetic notes with customizable pen color, thickness, pressure sensitivity, and style (fountain pen, ball pen, brush pen, and highlighter).
■ Customize the size and color of your paper templates to create the template you want.
■ Add, create, or import your stickers, stamps, washi tapes, images, and more to reuse again and again.
■ Easily discover and download new digital stickers, paper templates, planners, and more on the in-app Marketplace.
For professionals: Increase productivity at work.
■ Present your notes, slides, and content directly from Goodnotes when you connect your device via AirPlay or HDMI to an external screen.
■ Use Laser Pointer on your iPad to guide your audience’s attention during your presentation.
■ Export your notes to email, print, or share them anywhere as PDFs.
■ Send a link to your notebooks to work on the same notes directly, perfect for asynchronous work or collaborative brainstorming.
■ Import documents by emailing them to your custom Goodnotes email.
For the price of one paper notebook, get unlimited digital notebooks that are backed up, synced across your devices, and searchable for an entire year. Try Goodnotes today.
Privacy policy: https://www.goodnotes.com/privacy-policy
Terms and Conditions: https://www.goodnotes.com/terms-and-conditions
What's New in Version 6.3.40
For Goodnotes 6 only:
- Improved performance for links and shared documents
Seller
Name
Time Base Technology Limited
Information
Developer
Categories
Version
6.3.40
Size
564.1 MB
Game Center
No
VPP Device Licensing
Yes
Rating
Rated: 4+
Compatibility
iOS 15.4 or later
Devices
iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro, iPad Pro (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPad Pro (9.7-inch) (Cellular), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5-inch), iPad Pro (10.5-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch), iPad Pro (11-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air, iPad Air (Cellular), iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 (Cellular), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini Retina, iPad mini Retina (Cellular), iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 (Cellular), iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 (Cellular), iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad mini (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (4th Generation) (Wi-Fi), iPad Air (4th Generation) (Wi-Fi + Cellular), iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th Generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (9th Generation), iPad (9th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (6th Generation), iPad mini (6th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (10th generation), iPad (10th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air11M2, iPad Air11M2Cellular, iPad Air13M2, iPad Air13M2Cellular, iPad Pro11M4, iPad Pro11M4Cellular, iPad Pro13M4, iPad Pro13M4Cellular, iPod touch (6th Generation), iPod touch (7th generation), Mac Desktop
Languages
English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese
App Store: Customer Ratings
Ratings & Reviews
4.7 of 5 (34,256 Ratings)
App Store: Customer Reviews
2024-07-01
Excellent App
This is excellent and efficient. I love the simplicity.
2024-06-30
UI Colours are too heavy on the eyes with version 6.
Hi, Just to let you know, i was using good notes 5 and was in love with the app. Recently i shifted to good notes 6. Although the app has some really good features, but the overall colours of the UI on my M1 ipad pro 12.9 is too heavy on the eyes and I have to reduce the brightness to too low because my eyes start hurting after only an hour. Secondly the blue colour of the tool bar is too striking and one feels lost while searching for controls. It would have been great if we could change to some neutral or soft colour which would make it easier and less hurting on the eyes.
This was not an issue with good notes 5 as the colours used were subtle and cool. If the developers are listening and would work on it, then definitely good notes 6 is the version to go with otherwise this alone would be the deal breaker, atleast for me. Apart from this, GN 6 is great!
2024-06-30
Need
You need this app to organise your life, period.
2024-06-29
Bring back Goodnotes 5
I hate so much the new version it’s giving me anxiety. I hope it will go back at the previous version at the end of the free trial. This is the worst. The interface is ugly and you can not change the font when you select the keyboard feature. The only good idea is the flashcards to study but as a teacher i don’t really need it. I'm seriously thinking about finding an other app and it makes me so sad cause i LOVED the Goodnotes 5.
2024-06-27
Not worth the money
Tried it for a week and it went a day past the trial and I didn’t realize it, so it charged me for a whole year. Don’t waste time with free trial, it’s just a ploy to get your money. Not worth it.
2024-06-26
My all time favourite app
The best note taking app you could ever get and for free flow of your thoughts into your scribble book.
2024-06-23
Almost perfect
Is it in your development roadmap to
- add the ability to lock the app or a notebook?
- add videos as videos or as attachments to documents?
Other than that good stuff
2024-06-19
Evernote 5 for the win
Shame on you
2024-06-18
This is a subscription that costs
I had no idea this note book is a subscription and costs. Be aware
2024-06-16
ok
usable but why does it allows to move pictures around even when on pen mode? super inconvenient, doesnt even go back to pen mode easily
2024-06-16
Good Notes 6
Just Amazing!!!
2024-06-13
Nasty app
We paid in full and still ask to pay for subscriptions otherwise cannot even access basic features. Nasty app ever!!!
2024-06-13
I paid for lifetime access in the previous version.
And the app said try new features in new app. But it canceled my previous lifetime access and ask me to subscribe/pay again. I want to restore my previous account but it seems that there is no way to do that!
2024-06-13
Favorite application
I love this application i use it everyday for university. I really love that i can syncronize my notes from my macbook to my ipad and vice-versa. It is really a must. Also, i love that it lets me fill out forms easily and lets be sign anything while also allowing me to store the documents, for futur referance, really easily.
2024-06-09
No practical ability to share between mobile and web
I wish I can get my money back… very very hard to use and confusing options
2024-06-07
Unwanted ads and sollicitations from an otherwise stellar app
The good: App checks all the marks. Note taking is efficient. Switch between documents works like a charm.
The very bad: Trying too much to push their marketplace in your face.
2024-06-05
Not possible to import PDF anymore
Most of the document I want to import can’t be import.
I paid for version 5 and it stopped working.
I bought the version 6 thinking it could solve the problem, but no.
2024-06-05
Widgets
People like me who make their family calendar on Goodnotes would very much like to see Goodnotes have a widget for the app so that users can pick to view a note from their main screen without going into the app!!!!
2024-06-03
Worse and worse proformance
I dont understand why the app gets more bugs than it was before. More glitch, more crash-down, more bugs. Can you team maintain a solid existing features and then explore more fancy things? I annoys me for over 1 year since it upgraded to 6. Disappointed.
2024-06-03
Paid for Goodnotes, now my app is not available, moved to subscription model.
Yet tu Brutus
2024-06-02
deleted my poems
After an update! This is disgusting lost all my hard Literary work I would never be able to recover
2024-06-01
Much improved since first release of version 6
The pros: it is pretty, and some new features are great like the ruler, and text colour presets. The cons: the latest version has gone back to not keeping the document open if you go to another app and come back. This was an issue when GN 6 first launched, and was fixed. An ongoing issue again.
2024-05-31
Scammers
I purchased good not 5. Where is that app? Now i have to purchase good notes 6? I can edit only three notes now? What happened to lifetime purchase? Free notes app is better than this.
2024-05-30
Stop using it already
What a shame! Gotta pay again for the app that I already paid? Ridiculous.
2024-05-29
Good app, could improve
I am enjoying this app, but would love to see a few improvements. The ability to lock a notebook and being able to change the pen tip size for starters (my writing looks quite messy in this app, which I can rectify by zooming in and having to scroll to write - which is a huge pain - but better than terrible looking writing). Also, I’d like the ability to link to other notes/ documents in one notebook.
Great for basic functions - love being able to easily add photos, emojis, highlight and mark up documents.
2024-05-28
Subscription Subscription Subscription
Bought Good Notes 5 for $15 and now can’t use it because 6 is out and I need to pay $30 more dollars. Lesson learned. Thanks for nothing. Oh and I plan to go to the better business bureau. I see lots of other folks dealing with the same thing. Figure I should notify someone.
2024-05-27
Bad
Drawing to write does not work. Very frustrating. Will not be paying again for premium.
2024-05-27
Love it!
Only things that would improve the app is adding a colour dropper tool to match colours, and object lock. Sometimes I want to lock things in the back but the lasso ends up grabbing everything, so can be hard to collage or make updates.
2024-05-25
Love Good Notes!
I got Good Notes because I needed it for a planner I purchased. Now I use it for absolutly everything!
2024-05-24
Worked… until it stopped
I paid $40 and used a lot for about a month. Now, the app keeps glitching to the point where it is unusable. For example, it keeps switching the tool I’m using without me doing anything. It also starts drawing random lines, scrolling, and many other issues. I am extremely disappointed as I really enjoyed the app while it worked but now I can’t get anything done. I’ve restarted the app, restarted the device, updated the app… nothing works. This is the first time in my life I have written a negative review because I am so deeply disappointed and frustrated. Please address this and fix the issues, or refund me the steep price I paid.
2024-05-24
Why require an account
Look. If the first thing any app does is ask me to make an account, i automatically trust it less. Goodnotes 5 wad good and iCloud seemed to be fine then. I wanted to try the new version to see if i should buy. Guess not.
2024-05-23
Pencil Pro smoothing/rewriting is way too aggressive
Please fix the godawful jumpy rewriting of characters when writing with the Pencil Pro. My Gen 1 Apple Pencil is fine but when I use my new Pencil Pro it’s like GoodNotes is haunted and wants to redraw almost every letter I wrote. I have to use another app which is frustrating after paying for GoodNotes and multiple GoodNotes marketplace items.
2024-05-21
Mac app is a memory hog (storekitagent)
I love GoodNotes 5 (nope, I'll never upgrade to 6) and I use it for school work all the time. I usually use the Mac app to review my notes while doing exercises on my iPad; and I found that the Mac app is using a significant amount of memory (around 1-2 GB) from a process called "storekitagent" found under the Activity Monitor. A lot of a Google search revealed that GoodNotes was the app that created this process and it became such a memory hog that slowed down my machine. Always had to go into Activity Monitor to force quit the process.
Please optimize your app!
2024-05-20
Good
It is a very good note taking apps with lots of features that are great and easy to use , but if you don’t want to spend any money you shouldn’t get it you need a subscription
2024-05-17
app is going down
App used to be good but now even though you paid for the app they try and make you pay for a premium version
2024-05-16
Goodnotes 6 Crashes on Mac
Crashed Thread:12
Exception Type: EXC_BAD_INSTRUCTION (SIGILL)
Termination Reason:Namespace SIGNAL, Code 4 Illegal instruction: 4
Terminating Process: exc handler [1099]
2024-05-15
Text and ipen
You can’t write text and use iPen in the iPhone
2024-05-14
An indispensable tool for dialysis notetaking
I have dialysis 3 times a week and start a new document every dialysis session. I either write down my blood pressure/pulses or use my phone to take a photo of the raw data screens/graphs and insert those into my document.
Also used to track multiple medications and heavily annotated hiking gps trail maps.
Used primarily on iPad Pro 12.9 and Macbook Air
Switched to version 6 and just bought the lifetime license as it eliminates the hassle of having to think, even fractionally, about annual renewal. I’ve been using Goodnotes every days since purchasing it in December, 2018
I had a Powerbook 150 back in college so I was lucky enough not to have gone through higher education without a computational device. Would have loved to have had an iPad Pro/Goodnotes back in 1989-95
More pens?
2024-05-14
Excel
Hope to see excel files can be imported into goodnote and tools to create tables.
2024-05-12
No option for single tap undo?
Why isn’t there at least an OPTION in the settings for single tap, two finger undo like literally every other app I use?
2024-05-11
La mejor hasta que actualizaron
Es increíble que ahora todas las aplicaciones tengan no solo un costo sino una mensualidad, yo ya había pagado por mi versión 5 y ahora sin avisarme que si actualizaba a la versión 6 ya no podía tener todas la funcionalidades que tenía en la 5 , pero eso si las quiero te go que pagar de nuevo , no actualicen , no recomiendo ,un desperdicio de dinero.
2024-05-08
Great
This is a great app!
The only thing I don’t like about it is that you have to pay for all the cool stickers, planners, notebooks, and GoodNotes 6.
Overall, it’s great!
2024-05-07
Switching from notability
Ditching notability for Goodnotes 6. So many extra features, more reliable on newer iPad Pro models than notability too.
2024-05-07
Broken Sign In System and cannot use all paid features after payment
I recently purchased the goodnotes6 life time access. The sign in options shows I need to sign in with a different account. This seems like a common issues for most people. I followed the help article in FAQ, it didnt work. I sent emails and emails to support team for help and there is no response. What now? I paid my money and I cannot access any new notebooks, any support can contact me regarding this for a fix?
2024-05-07
Disappointed
I have had the Goonotes app for years and I find the latest subscription version 6 is very glitchy and it's really inconvenient when I have to sign back in. The old version was just always there for me and worked without glitches. Now it freezes up and causes me problems all the time and slows down my productivity at work. I will not likely renew my susbscription when it's up. I'll go back to version 5 which I paid for and is free to use indefinately and worked really well for me.
2024-05-06
Good app structure, struggle with chem notes.
I find the app great and honestly so easy to use, it’s wonderful for note taking especially if you need to write fast and messy and don’t want to rewrite all of those notes the writing to text is wonderful and well built. However, when doing chemistry and chemical reactions I wish we where able to write it normally but have you charges and etc high up the proper chemical way.
2024-05-05
Didn’t use and is no longer free
I cancelled subscription because I didn’t use it. The new upgrade is no longer free. I don’t use any Apple apps as monthly subscriptions become expensive.
2024-05-05
Horrible Upgrade
I paid for GoodNotes. All of a sudden with GoodNotes 6, I became a freemium member???? I can edit only 3 of my notebooks?? This is a terrible experience. Being a product manager myself, let me tell you that’s it’s a terrible strategy. Prioritizing revenue over customer experience never pays off in long run. I am going to switch to a different app.
2024-05-04
Compromised Customer’s ability to access Goodnotes 5
I can no longer access any of my old notebooks, or use any of the features that I paid (A LOT) for for Goodnotes 5. Now that its on Goodnotes 6 I have to pay for a subscription just to use the software I had already paid for. Very happy I just finished my studies so I can discard this software
2024-02-02
Takes 8 GB of RAM on MAC!!!
General a good app but allowing that much RAM to be used on Macs causes the spinning wheel of death as well using most of the memory. At first I thought my Mac was defective even though I've had it for like a year and a half, but my friends and familys Mac's have the same issue. FIX THIS APPLE!!!!
2024-01-11
Disappointed
I paid for goodnotes a long time ago since my university years, recently i updated to goodnotes 6 and i no longer have unlimited edits eventho i have paid before. What have you done? Why why why, this is awful, now I won’t use goodnotes anymore. Very disappointed, i feel like i just got robbed
2024-01-11
Terrible app
Got rid of my subscription after goodnotes 6 released. Scam and waste of money
2024-01-10
Awful
Thank god I didn’t have any important documents there. These guys updates version 5 that was free to version 6 that doesn’t have free mode. So to access your docs there you’d have to pay for version 6. Plus what an awful idea to just stop access to the app - that happened to me in the middle of the class when I had to draw something for my students. Never again I’m gonna use this app, even for free.
2024-01-09
Why pay again?
Why are you making people pay again?
2024-01-09
Forced to Pay
I used the free options of Goodnote 5 for months and then suddenly was prompted to upgrade to 6 because 5 no longer exists, so I follow the steps and cannot get past a paywall. Either cough up a subscription fee or don’t even get into the app at all. I cannot access any of my old notebooks or notes because closing out of the subscription screen isn’t an option. Pay up or get lost. Garbage update for a once good app.
2024-01-06
I HAVE TO PAY AGAIN???
I already paid for the previous Goodnotes app and now I have to pay another $30??? How many times am I going to have to pay? I made a one-time purchase and now I have to make ANOTHER “one-time” purchase. Do you know what one-time means? How is this even allowed on the Apple Store???
2024-01-05
Not worth the money
Version 5 was free and was great. Forced upgrade to version 6 and now it’s all lost unless I subscribe for $$.
Not cool I am out. Deleted the app and not looking back.
2024-01-05
Now I have to pay for everything!
They released the 6th version and now you have to pay to create and write on everything.
Very disappointed.
2023-10-16
DO NOT TRY V6
I am extremely disappointed with the new version of Goodnotes (6). I was forced to upgrade to version 6 through many invasive notifications, and now I cannot go back to version 5, which I own. I also cannot access my previous drawings and notebooks for edit.
To make matters worse, version 6 is asking me to pay for everything I want to do. This is unacceptable, as I already paid for version 5.
I tried to contact customer support, but the chat on the website is AI managed and it always recommends me to read some articles, but never answers my questions.
I am very frustrated and disappointed with Goodnotes. I would not recommend this software to anyone.
2023-10-06
Horrible update
The idea is there, but it is insanely buggy, it disconnects from wifi, it crashes, it has duplicated things multiple times… It does not work, I’m writing notes and it crashes and does keep any of the notes I had written, leading to having notes to be redone…. I would not recommend this app and it is a complete waste of money…. I should just go back to google drive
2023-10-02
DO NOT UPGRADE
Absolute biggest waste of money.
2023-10-01
Don't upgrade to 6
Don't upgrade. I upgraded to Goodnotes 6 , and Now I can't get my mac to sign in at all despite using the same sign in credentials. I can't believe I dished out more money for this, and lost all functionality. I'm considering contacting VISA to get my money back. Just despicable. Clearly this release was very rushed, and they didn't care that it wasn't going to work. There's no way to get help with it, either, no support.
2023-10-01
Capitalistic
I was a goodnotes user for 2 years, I paid 20$ for the app a couple years ago and was prompted to update. Upon updating the app I was completely locked out of my notes and told i had to pay another 30$ to keep using the app. I feel like i'm being blackmailed to access my own work. Never trust these apps. I'm in the middle of midterms and can't continue to write notes until i pay these frauds more money.
you guys have small pp's.
2023-09-28
GREED
Why are they making us pay more for a software we have ALREADY purchased.
2023-09-25
Why Can't I Sync?
"Existing Goodnotes users can continue to use Goodnotes 5 indefinitely or upgrade to Goodnotes 6. Either way, your notes are safe!"
Then why do I keep getting messages saying I can only sync between my iPad and my laptop if I upgrade to Goodnotes 6?
2023-09-23
Upgrading
I bought Goodnotes 5 less than a year ago at 1/3 of the price and really enjoy it. Now they keep bothering me to upgrade to Goodnotes 6 which is 3 times more expensive than 5. I purchased Version 5 with a lifetime contract, so please stop bothering me.
2023-09-17
The upgrade to version 6 is the worst of all
I have purchased versin 5 and thought that was a permanent purchase. However, recently after upgrading to 6, they tried to rip money by forcing you to pay for the upgrade otherwise you can only edit/import 3 notebooks. Even worse, the software fails to load the upgrade options so you can't upgrade even if you want to pay them again ... This is very disappointing since this app has been my go-to optin for taking notes on iPad.
2023-09-08
Subscription service
Why is everything a subscription service now? like really ? way to discourage potential buyers. NO ONE LIKES SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES. no one is expecting constant updates with a one time license. Just let us have access to the version we are paying for. Update from 5 to 6 is entirely useless and a cash grab.
2023-09-06
Goodnotes 6 breaks the agreement with people who purchased Goodnotes 5 in good faith
I’m back to Notability. Pity; Goodnotes was good until they pulled a bait and switch going to a subscription model in version 6. Interesting comments online about their usage of your data - Apple should really be looking in to this.
Note the high reviews of this app are for previous versions…
2023-09-06
New updates require subscription
I already paid $11 for gn5 and now they took away the sync among devices function unless I enroll into the new paid subscription version. You can’t make customers pay for a one time fee to buy the app, then take it away and force them to repay a monthly subscription. I would call that a scam. Not a smart business strategy for GoodNotes to keep clients.
2023-08-14
Moved on to Noteful
Another great app destroyed by greedy developers. They poked fun at Notability for going to subscription, then shortly followed anyways.
2023-08-11
Loyal User of 4+ Years Disappointed
Backing up the other negative reviews of GN6 and the additional fee, I am incredibly disappointed in this company. You're making users pay 3x more for an app they've ALREADY PURCHASED. Many of the updates are simple things (ie. folder colours) that users have been asking for over years. Also disappointing to see an encouragement in using AI for academics. I have loved and used this app through university, but this feels like a slap in the face. Will not be upgrading and possibly moving to different apps. Shame.
2023-08-11
If I could give 0 stars…
Was a good app until this update ruined everything. Remember last year when Notability switched to subscription pricing, you guys promised to the users that you would never turn into subscription? And you reduced the price of the app to attract the users remember? Then what it is now? We as lifetime purchasers have to pay again? For those new subscribers, good luck with the next version launched in future… hopefully the company won’t rip you off in couple years… bah very disappointed.
2023-08-10
Loved but forced upgrade?
Used to love this app but what’s with the forced app? I paid to be able to use it when I initially bought it so why is it 30 dollars?
2023-08-10
Gross!
I have to do another payment to update to gn6! Hello????? I already paid before😅
2023-08-09
Have to repurchase
I bought GoodNotes 5 a few weeks ago, recently it updated to GoodNotes 6, I am unable to edit my notes unless I repay the 30 dollars I payed a few weeks ago.
Overall tho in my experience GoodNotes 5 was really good…while it lasted. Now I have decided to go back to using apple notes.
2023-08-09
Disapointing Practice From The Developers
I could not be more unhappy about the transition of Goodnotes 5 to Goodnotes 6. Gn5 lifetime was 12$, Gn6 is now 33$. About 3 times the price for a few app features update, for an app i already bought. Also everytime you open Gn5 there is a pop-up about upgrading to Gn6, could have one the first time only but no it needed to be EVERYTIME. Very disapointed in the developers. This used to be my favorite note app.
2023-08-09
GoodNotes 6 < goodnotes 5
It’s just a expensive scam with uglier interface….
2023-08-09
The best writing app for iPad Pro & Pencil
Good notes 5 was great. New version 6 roll out is a bad experience. Pop ups, forced upgrade, no opt out to stay at version 5. Very poor execution by the management team. :(
2023-01-14
Add to favorite icon
Putt back the add to favorite icon on the left corner!!! Don’t want to have to click on … each time!
2022-03-01
Not polished enough
The ipad and the iphone apps are great but the mac app is considerably worse when compared to its other counter parts.
- The app is very laggy when clicking on the button to create a new file or new document.
- the search function needs a reword. It does not work like an actual search function and overall provides a very bad experience.
2022-01-24
It's my top 3 most used app
My life is in there. Literally. All my notes, journalling, workbooks, business plan, meal plans... it's all stored and accessible thought good notes.
I don't even like writing on paper anymore. I can carry everything I need in one app and access it on any of my devices.
Love it.
2021-01-27
Can Improve
It is a great app but can improve if a template for organic chemistry could be added (hexagonal paper) + audio recording like notability! if those features were added GoodNotes would be the perfect app.
2021-01-14
HOW IS THERE NO WAY TO ADD BULLET POINTS? - Please add this
NO BULLET POINT CAPIBILITY – WHAT ARE YOU AS APP DESIGNERS DOING?!?! – A notetaking app is supposed to make it easier to create notes (including typing them) and not make it more difficult and time consuming. I’m literally contemplating calling Apple tomorrow and requesting a refund for this app. I can’t even type notes without the ability to add billet points or spend an absurd amount of time manually adding them in (which is also extremely annoying).
Not only is this annoying for the users of the app when typing, but it is hindering the success of this app. I’m sure that it’s safe to assume that EVERY other notetaking app has this feature. It seems as though that many people choose between this app and Noteability. This is a great app and stands out in many aspects and appears to be a good notetaking app (specially the folder organization). This is why even though I already purchased Noteability, I bought GoodNotes planning on switching apps because of the many wonderful things that GoodNotes has to offer. I was very excited to be using this app, but apparently, I was wrong. Within 5 minutes of use I realized that its essentially useless to type notes on as a result of not being able to organize my notes wih bulletins when typing.
The ability to make bullet points and sub-bullets is a fundamental feature of taking notes. So I guess I will continue to use Noteability as the point of having an iPad and MacBook is because of the ability to flawlessly be able to switch between the two and when using my MacBook, I obviously will be typing notes.
Are you guys trying to have a lower revenue by having customers choose competitor apps instead of GoodNotes? I’m sure that by adding this one feature you would have a lot more business, as this is something that people REQUIRE in a notetaking app (especially for university students).
I am extremely disappointed that this app does not have a feature to add bulletin points. This is not something even think to look into when researching the app as it is such a basic feature and is unheard-of and obscure for a notetaking app to not have.
How does a notetaking app does not have this basic capability? especially when advertising to students? it is a headache and is extremely time consuming.
This is extremely annoying and makes it difficult to organize notes for my university classes! There ABSOLUTLY SHOULD be a feature for you to add a bullet and to make sub bullets. Instead, I have to type "-" and when making sub bullets press the tab a bunch for the next line then add in the dash. This is so unnecessarily time consuming. I’m sitting there having to pause my recorded lectures just trying to add bullet points into my note.
I understand that this app is more directed towards iPads, however, most iPad users (including myself) also have a MacBook because of the easy capability to switch between the two devices. And some classes are easier to type notes when they are word-heavy where you need to write a lot, especially since tying is factor. These same are also classes where you NEED the ability to have bulletins so that your notes are not a DISASTER (and the inability to do this on this app is a DISASTER on your part).
I don’t design apps, but id assume that this is such a simple feature to add.
When I was trying to figure out how to do this, I came across MANY posts and comments of others who are also complaining about this and for YEARS. Thus, this is not the first time this is brought to the attention of the app developers and is very evidently a MAJOR problem with the app that greatly affects the apps useability. So, you guys either do not read your reviews, don’t care about creating a more friendly user experience, incompetent at designing a notetaking app or are stupid... I am sorry for being rude here, but I’m astonished that such a well-rated and popular app lacks such a curtail and basic feature.
And if despite the demand for it, you still think that this is something that you don’t need to add, at least indicate that on the main page of the app. I would say that its almost false advertising by saying that this is a notetaking app but doesn’t even have bullet points.
Or do not offer it in the app store for MacBook’s and only offer it for iPads. Because I’m certain that pretty much anyone wishing to type their notes would want this capability.
I would probably have given this app a five-star review, but only have two stars because it is absolutely ridiculous that this is not a function. PLEASE JUST ADD BULLET POINTS for your sake as you will have more satisfied customers and for the sanity of students trying to type their notes.
PLEASE FIX THIS!!! I’m literally begging you.
2020-12-26
Many issues
GoodNotes is in general a great note-taking app but there are way too many bugs. Most recently the notes have stopped saving text boxes and will just randomly delete texts, which makes it VERY frustrating when entire pages of notes would just disappear. Please fix this!
2020-12-22
Great app, but text (typing) can improve a lot
This is a great app for writing notes with your pen. It feels robust, syncs quickly, and easy to use. The one big downside is the text tool is very difficult to use. It has a number of bugs associated with it. Overall, I would recommend this app!
2020-12-11
It's amazing on the Ipad but Awful on Macbook
it works wonderfully on the ipad, and its really easy to read and write and take notes on there! The select function makes life easy when you need to move things around and there are diffrent options for highlighter colours and pen styles. writing is really easy and it doesnt cram the hand because you dont have to use as much pressure. Without a pressure sensitive pencil you wont be able to get bold, curvy lines like seen in the photo though. Reading textbooks is a breeze, and you can zoom in and write in a note on a diagram which is amazing.
BUT!! on the Macbook its soooo annoying. it literally is so frustating it constantly is freezing, and its difficult to get the text box where i need it. the highlighting function on the macbook is useless i cant move my mouse in a straight line and it would be better if we could highlight with a text cursor, and you can kind of, but its impossible to select what your trying to highlight! another annoying thing is the side bar it can be removed but its annoying to add and remove or edit pages on here when on the mac, not on ipad. And the top bar with all the functions such as highlight text always goes into hiding and you constantly need to press the down key for it to pop out again.
Its really great on the ipad, but if your buying it for macbook its a waste of money, pages would work better.
2020-11-05
Reconsider for Text Based Notes
I primarily use text based notes with photos/illustrations as adjuncts. I was hoping to utilize editing abilites to create visual notes however there are constant and signficant challenges to using this application, especially for text. Do not use this application if you use text based notes.
Often this application does not tolerate format changes and there are problems with typing:
1) indentations from Word will limit text margins and textbox size
2) colour change and font emphasis is problematic with screen lag/glitching (ie. font colour selector glitches and with typing it will alternate each letter to a different colour)
3) keyboard shortcuts do not consistently work/are recognized (ie. keyboard shortcut for change inconsistently changes to ∆ in this application only)
4) spelling error indications disappear after initial input and reappear only with highlighting text vs simply selecting the textbook
5) the textbox is finicky to resize (specific area needs to be clicked in order to resize)
6) textboxes do not lock in place (with multiple layers on one page do not anticipate moving objects without altering another object) - layering and locking objects should be an option
The application lags with multiple windows of the application open. The amount of times I've had to force close and restart the program has made any potential efficiencies of this application nearly nonexistant. Changing pages on the sidebar/note book outline is not always accurate (ie. on page 3, click page 1 on outline and not automatically taken to page 1) - there is also no option to hide the margin and moving the window to hide the outline would hide tools/features you would require for note writing.
There are adequate functions with handwriting and colouring. Photos do not have the ability to be moved or copy/pasted from different pages without reinserting the picture on the correct page therefore another problem where moving content/editing is difficult (also problematic switching between Macbook/iPad if photos are not easily accessible/organized).
This is a paid application that has many active problems and has not greatly improved my note taking abilities and therefore I regret this purchase.
2020-07-19
The mac app is buggy
It looks and feels just like a clone of the ipad app, with pinch gestures that select items, and the ui not being optimized for a computer.
That would be ok if the app wasn't buggy, but it is. It is slow, sometimes crashes and has syncing problems.
The mac app is nowhere near the same quality as the ipad.
2020-06-24
Best handwriting note app I have used
I started using an ipad full time in 2017 for fieldwork - once the Apple Notes app acquired a scaleable ruler with degrees readout. By then I had already played with quite a few different note taking apps, some free, some paid for, before I settled on one (not Goodnotes).
Spring forward to 2019 and I had started noticing that the app I was using was becomoing more and more glitchy over time and was not seemingly able to keep up with the evolution of IOS. I even (gasp...) lost some data now and again - though not too much. I started doing some research again on what note taking apps were best to use. I finally chose Goodnotes 5 and have been exceptionally happy I did.
After using it over winter here are some of the reasons why I have recommended it to both my son for university and coworkers...
1) Stability. So far Goodnotes 5 has been rock-solid in my use. It has never ever crashed and I have never ever lost data (knock on wood). It also does not glitch when auto saving like other programs.
2) Ability to open multiple tabs. When I am doing fieldwork I have multiple places where I have to enter data. This is a trivial thing to accomplish in a paper field note book with tabs... but not so easy with a tablet. Goodnotes 5 handles multiple tabs seamlessly and elegantly.
3) PDF Handling. It works really well handling PDFs - especially when incorporating an existing PDF into an existing document. One can selecta PDF and open as a stand alone document, or elect to havwe it append to the next page of whichever Goodnotes document you have open. This is a great boon, especially for processing and collating the mountains of health and safety paperwork we have to deal with these days...
4) Easy incorporation of images into the notebook. Many programs do this ok, and Good notes also does it just fine as well.
5) The goldilocks level of writing options. The program I went to has a wonderful plethora of pen nib options and is quite lovely to work with and use - except for the crashing part. Goodnotes has a more limited colour palatte, but it is easy to use, and facilitates quick switching between nib types and colours. This is abotu as close as you can get to wrting on paper wiht one of those Bic multi colour selection pens.
6) Just an overall level of clean, simple, elegant UI that is easy to navigate and understand. It shows that the Goodnotes team has definitley tried to meld the best of paper and tablet together to make a solid, ease to use product. It does not have the immediacy of pencil and paper, but it is as close as I have seen so far, whilst also leveraging the power of a tablet.
2020-04-12
Handwriting issues
I have some issues with the handwriting: my lines are cuted in smaller lines, as if my Apple Pencil wasn’t detected some times. I always have the latest version of Goodnotes 5, and my Apple Pencil is working perfectly with other apps.
2020-03-05
GoodNotes isn’t so good
Halfway through using editing tools, they cease to function leaving the job half done.
2019-12-14
Very practical for students
UPDATE 2: please add a ruler feature! And a toggle to not have the highlighting darken when you overlap in different strokes
Dec - UPDATE: After using for a whole semester, I find that the app works well enough to keep up w me but sometimes it will glitch and won’t even open up and I have to quickly switch to one note, MID-LECTURE. Also, when using the zoom box, the jumps from indent to indent are so big and hard to control/predict. W the zoom-box you can only erase within the box itself, which is a waste of time bc you have to either scroll the box up or exit zoom mode altogether. Also, I wish they’d make the pen size REALLY big so I can colour things in or use it as whiteout (when annotating pictures/PDFs that can’t be erased). Another cool thing would be to add an equation feature. I would also really like to change the colours of folders. Maybe they could also give the option to ppl to add more preset colours or remove them, bc maybe someone only needs 2 or wants to have 5 at the top. I’m also waiting for the day auto sync to google drive will be integrated. I don’t have money to expand my iCloud storage and I would also like to look at my slides as PDFs on google drive. Although I personally screen record in lecture to record my profs AND see what I’m writing at the same time, it would be helpful if there was an integrated recording feature within the notes so I don’t have to watch the entire recording all over again just to find a 5 second tidbit. Another helpful thing would be to add a feature where you can use an infinite scroll/canvas with presentation slides, so I can annotate all around if I run out of space within the slide, instead of having to add a slide underneath, which is hard to do when using symbols and diagrams. All in all, it’s a solid app, save for a few minor pet peeves. I can’t imagine switching back to pen and paper.
Aug:
I was very nervous about forgoing pencil and paper but once I got the hang of the settings on GoodNotes it turns out it’s so much more efficient to use this app. In paper switching colours, highlighting, erasing takes a lot of time, whereas this saves time, which is valuable when you’re in a lecture. You can move around what you’ve previously written, which you can’t do on paper, you can write directly on PowerPoints, which saves money from printing and storage space, you can add pictures, so much more. Add a Bluetooth keyboard to your tablet and you have a laptop. You can undo, split screen and have a calculator on the side, or your online textbook. I’ve never been more happy with a lifestyle/education app. Well worth the money.
2019-08-01
Horizontal scrolling & bookmarks!
I used to use Notability as my main note-taking/PDF viewing app. however, the lack of horizontal scroll and built-in viewer for preset bookmarks makes it rather frustrating to scroll through large documents.
GoodNotes 5 has both horizontal scroll and vertical scroll, making viewing documents and taking notes a breeze. The built-in bookmark editor does not only present the preset bookmarks but also lets the users to edit the bookmark list. With the addition of multiple levels of folders and the “favourite” marking method, organization is superior on GoodNotes.
The writing experience is also smooth and enjoyable in every aspect.
NOW WE JUST NEED A BUILT-IN VOICE RECORDER.
2019-04-27
Going back to GoodNotes 4
It’s getting worse and worse as the months goes by. Been patient for a while now (especially in the beginning to give time to fix the little issues) but the lagging started and it is now excessive. It is literally slowing me down a lot. Got tricks to make sure I don’t loose anything but the frustration (and the fear to loose something important) is growing. The struggle is real. Going back to 4. Will even consider another app. If you can’t get better than what is it you have to offer?
2019-01-22
No tool bar in the zoom window!!!!
GoodNotes 4 has the pen colours, erase, undo, redo, and indent buttons on the zoom tool bar. GoodNotes 5 only has the indent buttons, which means you have to go all the way to the top of the screen to erase mistakes and switch pen colours. Sounds like it’s not a big deal but in reality it is rather inconvenient. This will take up precious time when you are taking notes during lecture.
I will be using GoodNotes 4 until a better update is released.
2019-01-18
Terrible Bookmark
Please bring back the rename bookmark feature like GoodNotes 4.
2019-01-16
Stay with GoodNotes 4
Not worth the upgrade. Key features are missing. New versions should augment and improve. That is not the case here. GoodNotes 5 is not improved.
2019-01-15
A good improvement, but not perfect.
Overall, I would say the reasons for upgrading are self-evident. The upgrade in visuals is very appealing and the ability to erase just highlighter or rotate imported pictures is super helpful. Although, I don’t see why there was a need to take away functionality that had already existed. The zoom function for handwriting has been changed, and now I can’t control how many lines are skipped when I hit return. Also, it would be nice see better integration with the IOS files app, so that you can move documents from other cloud services into your document more seamlessly. I hope, in the future, they can implement these features, because the added features don’t seem to warrant the price with what seems like it could have been a simple update to the previous app.