OneNote: 5 new features in Microsoft OneNote for 2025

Key insights

• Meeting Details Improvements: OneNote now allows users to import meeting information from Outlook calendars, streamlining the capture of agendas and attendee lists directly into notes. This enhances efficiency and organization.


• Fountain and Brush Pens: New pen types simulate real-world writing tools, offering varied line thicknesses and textures based on pressure and tilt. This feature boosts creativity and allows for customization.


• Ink Eyedropper Tool: Users can match colors within their notes effortlessly, ensuring a consistent color scheme. It provides consistency in annotations and precise color replication.


• Straighten Handwriting: This tool automatically aligns handwritten text neatly, improving clarity and giving notes a professional look.


• PDF/Image Plus Ink Improvements: Enhanced annotation capabilities allow users to insert PDFs or images into notes with smoother ink support, combining visual content with annotations seamlessly.

Introduction to OneNote's Latest Features

In 2025, Microsoft 365 OneNote has introduced a series of updates aimed at enhancing the user experience. These updates, available on OneNote Desktop 365, include improvements to Meeting Details, new inking tools like Fountain and Brush pens, an Ink Eyedropper, handwriting straightening, and enhanced PDF/Image annotation capabilities. While some features are still in the Microsoft 365 Insider program, they promise to revolutionize how users interact with their notes. Let's delve into these exciting new features.

Meeting Details Improvements

OneNote's integration with Outlook has been refined, making it easier to import meeting details directly into your notes. This feature allows users to seamlessly capture meeting agendas, attendee lists, and other relevant information without manual entry. Advantages:

• Efficiency: Quickly pull in meeting specifics without manual entry.
• Organization: Keep all meeting-related content centralized for easy reference.

Basics:

• Navigate to the "Insert" tab in OneNote.
• Select "Meeting Details."
• Choose the desired meeting from your Outlook calendar to import its details.

Fountain and Brush Pens

To offer a more natural and expressive inking experience, OneNote now includes Fountain and Brush pens. These tools mimic the feel of real-world pens, providing varied line thicknesses and textures based on pressure and tilt. Advantages:

• Creativity: Enhance your notes with artistic flair.
• Customization: Adjust pen settings to suit your writing or drawing style.

Basics:

• Go to the "Draw" tab in OneNote.
• Select either the Fountain or Brush pen.
• Customize color and thickness as desired.

Ink Eyedropper Tool

The Ink Eyedropper tool is a new addition that allows users to match colors within their notes effortlessly. By selecting a specific ink color from existing content, users can maintain a consistent color scheme throughout their notes. Advantages:

• Consistency: Ensure uniformity in your note annotations.
• Precision: Accurately replicate colors from any part of your notes.

Basics:

• In the "Draw" tab, select the Eyedropper tool.
• Click on the color you wish to sample.
• Your selected pen or highlighter will now use the sampled color.

Straighten Handwriting

For users who prefer handwritten notes but want a cleaner appearance, the "Straighten Handwriting" feature is invaluable. This tool automatically adjusts handwritten text to align neatly, enhancing readability. Advantages:

• Clarity: Improves the legibility of handwritten notes.
• Professionalism: Gives handwritten content a polished look.

Basics:

• Write your notes using a stylus or touch input.
• Select the handwritten text.
• Choose the "Straighten" option from the context menu or "Draw" tab.

PDF/Image Plus Ink Improvements

OneNote has improved the way users can annotate PDFs and images. With the latest updates, users can insert PDFs or images into their notes and write directly over them with improved ink support, ensuring smoother and more responsive annotations. Advantages:

• Versatility: Easily mark up documents and images within your notes.
• Integration: Combine visual content with handwritten or typed annotations seamlessly.

Basics:

• Insert a PDF or image into your OneNote page.
• Use the "Draw" tools to annotate as needed.

Conclusion

These new features are designed to enhance productivity and provide a more intuitive note-taking experience. As some updates are currently available through the Microsoft 365 Insider program, users interested in early access can sign up for the program. By staying updated with these new tools, OneNote users can continue to optimize their workflow and maintain organized, comprehensive notes.

Keywords

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