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Can OneNote Really Help You Get Rid of Messy Notes Forever?
Microsoft OneNote helped make life simpler and tidier, and it’s free on Windows, Mac, web, Android, and iOS. Some upgrades to features—for example, speech-to-text—come if you use Microsoft 365, but the app works well without paying. Here’s how it made a positive difference for staying organized.
Grouping Projects with Multiple Notebooks
You don’t have to squeeze everything into a single notebook.
You can make many notebooks, and use each for a separate project—like work, school, hobbies, or travel.
Each notebook splits further into sections and pages, so everything has a neat home.
When switching between projects, you just click in the side menu.
Making a notebook is quick with a few clicks and giving it a name.
Using Tags for Quick Searches
Notes add up fast, and it’s hard to find what you want.
OneNote lets you tag parts of notes, like “to-do,” “urgent,” or custom labels (such as “Netflix” or “Recipe”).
Clicking a tag, you see all matching notes in that area.
Example: Tag every TV show by streaming app. When you want to watch Netflix, just search those tags and see only your Netflix suggestions.
To use tags:
- Highlight some text.
- Click “Insert Tag.”
- Pick a tag, or create your own.
- Find all tags by hitting the “Find Tags” button.
Tag search only works inside the current notebook, which helps focus, but means you can’t find tags everywhere at once.
Saving Time with Templates
Don’t rebuild the same kind of page over and over.
Set up a good format—like a to-do tracker, meeting notes, or shopping list—then save it as a template.
After saving, you can make more pages like it with just one click.
Steps for a template:
- Build a page as you want.
- Choose “Page Templates.”
- Choose “Save Current Page as Template.”
- Name it, and use it as needed in other notebooks.
Taming the Mess with Section Groups
If notes pile up, things get messy and stressful.
Section groups help by hiding sections you don’t use often.
You can put lots of sections together under a single group, like “Old Projects” or “Past Classes.”
Section groups can even hold other groups.
You only see the group name until you expand it, so unused stuff stays out of sight.
To use:
- Right-click a section, choose “New Section Group.”
- Name it.
- Drag other sections into it.
- Collapse group to hide details.
This keeps your notebook clear and your mind peaceful.
Why Choose OneNote?
- Free to use, no sneaky costs for basics.
- Works on every device.
- Easy to switch back and forth between different projects.
- Simple search and tag features.
- Flexible ways to set things up for how you like to work.
Bulletproof Tips
- Make a notebook for everything big: work, health, home projects.
- Use tags to gather important notes that need fast action.
- Save templates for things you do often.
- Hide what you don’t need with section groups, so things aren’t overwhelming.
OneNote takes notes, lists, and ideas and puts them in order. It gives you tools for staying ahead of life and clears out clutter. Many apps promise this, but OneNote is truly helpful, flexible, and stress-free.
OneNote created space in the day and mind, making everything feel lighter and easier to manage—even on the busiest days.