Let’s say you’re a passionate Evernote desktop or web user, but haven’t tried it on your iPhone yet. Or maybe you have it on your iPhone, but haven’t used it to its fullest. We’re here to remedy that, with a quick review of a few Evernote for iOS features that help you to focus better and get more done.
(Mild disclaimer: Some features are only available with certain Evernote plans. If you see something you like that’s not in your plan, consider upgrading and giving your productivity a(nother) boost.)
iOS widgets
Ideas are fleeting. And while the “having nowhere to write them down” dilemma has been solved by Evernote for iOS, sometimes you need to get those ideas down faster than fast. That’s where iOS widgets come in. They show up right on your phone’s home screen. You can check out your latest notes and tasks without launching the app, and create new content faster. Our most popular widgets include:
- Actions Bar: Instantly start a new note, open the camera to snap a picture, create a new task, or even use Evernote’s search function to find existing stuff.
- Notes: Get one-touch access to your most recently edited notes, or start a new one.
- Tasks: Check out your most recent tasks, or create a new one with a single tap.
- Shortcuts: Making those “cuts” even shorter with quick access to your favorite notes, notebooks, and tags.
And for those with iOS 16, lock screen widgets are available as well!
For help setting up widgets, check out this video.
Pop-up calendar notifications
Here’s your ticket to becoming the meeting MVP. After linking Evernote to your Google Calendar, Evernote can automatically send you a notification just before your next meeting. Click that notification and it’ll spawn a preformatted meeting note that automatically fills in details from your calendar, like name, date, attendees, and room for notes and action items. Or, you can prepare for the meeting in advance by linking existing notes to your event. That way, you’ll have all your relevant info in one place, ready to go.
You can also set notifications for during the meeting, to remind you to take notes, or after the meeting, to remind you to open notes and review. You’ll never miss a follow-up action item again.
Audio recording
Record a meeting, a lecture, your kid’s recital, or pretty much anything that makes noise. Just open up a note (or create a new note), tap on the blue Insert button (the “plus” sign), then tap Audio. The recording starts automatically. Tap the “stop” icon to stop recording and automatically save the audio to your note. Your audio file is now easy to organize and find. You can even add text to the note as you’re recording to emphasize a point or capture additional details.
Camera and document scanning
Add photos to existing notes, or instantly take a photo that lives in its own note. We also redesigned the document scanner to streamline how you capture information with your camera. The app now automatically recognizes documents, Post-it® notes, whiteboards, or business cards, scans them for readable text, suggests the best options for capturing them, and adds them to your notes.
Share extension
Did you know you can share anything in Evernote with anyone you know, whether or not they use Evernote? You even have options, depending on how you want to send it:
- Get a sharable link to your note that anyone can view online.
- Choose “more sharing options” and share it using Facebook, instant messenger, or any other share-friendly app on your phone.
- Invite a specific person to view and/or edit the note.
- Simply email a copy to anyone using your preferred email program.
Customize your Home dashboard
Customize your Home dashboard in Evernote to put the information you need front and center. And while customization options vary by plan, they can include:
- Changing or removing the background image
- Adding, removing, and reordering widgets
- Resizing widgets (desktop and web only)
- Seeing exactly the notes you want on Home with the filtered notes widget
- Adding multiple copies of some widgets (Professional and Teams only)
- Changing the scratch pad color and title
For help customizing your home screen, check out this article.
Seamless handoff to other devices
Write once, use on any platform. Evernote automatically syncs to every device where your Evernote account lives—desktop, web, and mobile—so you can hand off your notes from one to the other as you go through your day.
Settings: dark mode, edit protection, create button, and more
These three little features in your Settings can make a big difference when using Evernote:
- Dark mode in Evernote makes reading and writing easier on your eyes by allowing you to switch to a darker, higher-contrast color theme.
- Edit protection protects your notes from the dreaded accidental finger-taps. Just toggle this setting to “on” to open notes with a still-simple but more intentional double tap.
- The “create” button can be customized to your preferences. Choose from a variety of button styles and apply up to seven functions to the button. The button’s default setting gives you three functions: take a photo, launch a new task, or set up a new blank note. But you can add additional functions, including:
- Scan
- Record audio
- Sketch
- Set up a note with a task in it
- Choose and launch a note template
- Attach a file
To edit these and more settings, tap the menu button (three lines) in the lower-left corner, then tap the gear icon to open the Settings menu.
Not a big iOS user? Stay tuned.
In this “Parade of Features” series, we’ll be covering killer features on our Android, desktop, web, and tablet apps as well. So if you’re not an iOS user, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
Did we miss your favorite iOS feature? Reach out to us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook and let us know!
