Welcome to Notability: powerful, yet wonderfully simple note-taking and PDF annotation. 

• The Library
• Create a New Note
• The Toolbox
• Inside a Note: Undo/Redo, Options Menu, and Content Manager

The Library

• The Library is where you access and organize your notes and folders. Here, you can:
  • Create new notes
  • Search notes
  • Create a Folder
  • Access the Gallery
  • Customize the app settings

Create a New Note

Tap +New to create a new note. 

Inside a note:

• Select Rule, Grid, or Dot at the bottom of a new note to change the background.
• Select Scan to scan a document, which will be saved as a PDF background in the note.
• Import files from other apps like PDFs, PowerPoints, and spreadsheets. 
• Select Templates to set a custom template. 

The Toolbox

Our Moveable Toolbox is fully customizable to suit your specific needs. The style tray gives you one tap access to your favorite tools and every tool has its own customizable presets. 

All tools including Zoom, Tape, Ruler and Laser Pointer, are grouped in the Toolbox. Don't see a tool? Swipe left to reveal more. 

• Tap Pen and start writing with your finger or stylus. Tap Pen again to adjust color, line weight, and style. Tap when using the pen or highlighter to activate pressure sensitivity. 
• Pencil has pressure sensitivity and texture for sketching and shading.
• Highlighter is a translucent ink that can emphasize the most important parts of a note.
• Partial Eraser allows you to remove precise details; Whole Eraser erases the entire item. 
•   Tap anywhere in the note to start typing. Make text boxes and move them wherever you'd like on the page.
• Draw selections around ink/sketches to edit; convert handwriting to text. 
•   Use to add media such as:
  • Photos
  • Camera
  • Stickers
  • GIF's
  • Sticky Notes 
  • Image Playground (available on iOS 18.2 or later)
• Tap Play to listen to audio recordings.
• Record lectures and meetings with Audio Recording; Note Replay syncs recordings with ink automatically. 
• Use the hand tool to navigate through a note.
• Use Zoom View for detailed work. 
• Use Tape to cover up key information in your note and quiz yourself. 
• Use Ruler to create straight edges or measure precise angles.
• Use Laser Pointer to direct your audience’s attention to specific parts of the page during presentations.  
• Use Settings to customize your toolbox and to choose which tools appear in it.

Inside a Note: Undo/Redo, Options Menu, Learn, and Content Manager

Tap to undo or redo your last action. Enable Undo/Redo gestures in your app’s settings.

Tap to export notes, modify your template settings, and select how you view your note.

Tap to open up the Learn panel.

• See how many questions you have answered with Learn.
• See how many minutes you have spent studying the currently opened note.
• Tap Live Transcript to see your audio recording transcribed in real time.
• Tap on the Smart Notes section to get real-time notes from your recordings, imported PDFs, and handwritten notes.
• Tap on the Quiz section to transform your notes into practice quiz questions that you can study from.
  •  
    • Tap to switch between quiz types.
      • Tap Flashcards to transform your notes into interactive flashcards to study topics. Tap to flip the flashcard and reveal the answer. Choose if you know the answer.
      • Tap Fill in the Blanks and write or type your answer in the blank. Tap Check Answer to see the correct answer. Choose if you got the answer correct. To delete an answer, tap .
      • Tap Quiz to select an answer from the multiple choices that answers the quiz question. Click Explain This to read an explanation of the question's answer.
      • Tap Mix and Match to tap on a word, and then tap on its matching definition. At the end, tap Next > Continue to keep studying, as new and harder questions will be generated.
• At the bottom of the Learn panel, Chat with your Notes to ask a question and get instant answers from the content within your note.

Tap Content Manager to manage note pages.

Multi-Note and Note Switcher: Multi-Note lets you open and work on two notes at the same time in either horizontal or vertical view. Note Switcher allows you to quickly switch between notes.

Updated March 24, 2026 16:22