Android vs. iPhone: the unending debate. Which offers the better app experience? Well, Android acolytes who use Evernote can kick their iFOMO to the curb: Evernote for Android offers an incredible feature set that power users and beginners alike can use to 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.)
Android widgets
Ideas are fleeting. And while the “having nowhere to write them down” dilemma has been solved by Evernote for Android, sometimes you need to get those ideas down faster than fast. That’s where widgets come in. Place them 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.
For help setting up widgets, check out this video.
Seamless handoff to other devices
Create a note in Evernote on your phone and it automatically syncs to every device where your Evernote account lives—desktop, web, and mobile. You can hand off your notes from one to the other as you go through your day.
Camera/document scan
Add photos to existing notes, or instantly take a photo that lives in its own note. We also redesigned the document scanner to make it easier to 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.
Settings: Dark mode, edit protection, create button, and more
These three little features 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, including:
- Add a reminder
- Record audio
- Start sketching
- Add attachment to a new note
- Take photo
- Scan document
- Create a new blank note
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.
Calendar reminders pop up as notifications
It’s like having a personal meeting assistant. 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 pre-formatted 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 set it for after the meeting, to remind you to open notes and review. You’ll never miss a follow-up action item again.
Customize your Home dashboard
Customize your Home dashboard in Evernote to match your work style. Customization options vary by plan, but they can include:
- Changing or removing the background image
- Adding, removing, and reordering widgets
- 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.
Audio recording
Record anything that makes noise: a meeting, a lecture, your kid’s recital, or your partner who talks in their sleep. Just open up a note (or create a new one), 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.
Not a big phone-app user? Stay tuned.
In this “Parade of Features” series, we’ve already covered the Android and iOS apps, but keep an eye out for posts about our desktop, web, and tablet apps as well. They’re on their way.
Did we miss your favorite Android feature? Reach out to us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook and let us know!
