How to Use Microsoft OneNote Like a Pro (2026 Guide)

Quick Start

This guide covers every Microsoft OneNote feature:

• 入门 — Create account and basic setup
• How to Use Copilot — Get AI-powered help inside your notes
• How to Use Sketch & Annotate — Draw and mark up pages by hand
• How to Use Collaboration — Share notebooks and edit with your team
• How to Use Voice Transcription — Turn spoken words into text
• How to Use Note Education — Build class notebooks for teaching

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | 故障排除 | 定价 | 替代方案

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve used Microsoft OneNote for over two years and tested every feature covered here. This how to use Microsoft OneNote tutorial comes from real hands-on experience — not marketing fluff or vendor screenshots.

Microsoft OneNote is one of the most powerful digital note-taking tools available today.

But most users only scratch the surface of what it can do.

This guide shows you how to use every major feature.

Step by step, with screenshots and pro tips.

Microsoft OneNote Tutorial

This complete Microsoft OneNote tutorial walks you through every feature step by step, from initial setup to advanced tips that will make you a power user.

Microsoft OneNote

Turn messy notes into organized digital notebooks in seconds. OneNote gives you AI-powered Copilot, real-time collaboration, and 嗓音 transcription across every device. Free to start — no credit card needed.

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Getting Started with Microsoft OneNote

Before using any feature, complete this one-time setup.

It takes about 3 minutes.

Watch this quick overview first:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the Microsoft OneNote website or open the app on Windows.

Sign in with your Microsoft account or create a free one.

OneNote comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11 devices.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the OneNote sign-in screen or home page.

Step 2: Download or Access the App

OneNote is available on Windows, Mac, iOS, 安卓, and the web.

Download from the Microsoft Store, App Store, or Google Play.

Log in with your Microsoft account.

Here’s what the dashboard looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the main notebook view with sections and pages.

Step 3: Complete Initial Setup

Create your first notebook by clicking “Add Notebook.”

Name it something clear like “Work Notes” or “Personal.”

Add your first section and page inside the notebook.

OneNote saves and syncs everything automatically through OneDrive.

How to Use Microsoft OneNote Copilot

副驾驶 lets you draft, summarize, and rewrite notes using AI.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Copilot in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open the Copilot Panel

Click the Copilot icon in the Home tab of your ribbon.

The Copilot side panel will appear on the right side.

Step 2: Type Your Prompt

Ask Copilot to summarize your page or draft new content.

You can also ask it to create a to-do list from your notes.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see Copilot’s response appear in the side panel.

Step 3: Insert the Result

Click “Copy” or “Insert” to add the AI-generated 文本 to your page.

Edit the output to match your style and needs.

How to Use Microsoft OneNote Sketch & Annotate

草图和注释 lets you draw, highlight, and mark up pages with digital ink.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Sketch & Annotate in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open the Draw Tab

Click the “Draw” tab at the top of the OneNote ribbon.

You’ll see pen, highlighter, and eraser tools appear.

Step 2: Select Your Drawing Tool

Pick a pen color, thickness, and style from the toolbar.

Use a stylus or your finger to draw directly on the page.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see your ink strokes appear on the canvas.

Step 3: Convert Handwriting to Text

Select your handwritten notes with the lasso tool.

Click “Ink to Text” to convert your writing into typed text.

How to Use Microsoft OneNote Collaboration

合作 lets you share notebooks and co-edit pages with your team in real time.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Collaboration in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Store Your Notebook in OneDrive

Make sure your notebook is saved to OneDrive (not locally).

This enables cloud syncing and sharing with others.

Step 2: Share the Notebook

Click “Share” in the top-right corner of OneNote.

Enter email addresses or copy a sharing link.

Set permissions to “Can edit” or “Can view” for each person.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see a confirmation that the notebook was shared.

Step 3: Edit Together in Real Time

Open the shared notebook and start typing on any page.

You’ll see colored cursors showing where teammates are editing.

How to Use Microsoft OneNote Voice Transcription

语音转录 lets you record audio and convert spoken words into text automatically.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Voice Transcription in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open the Transcribe Feature

Go to the Home or Insert tab and click “Transcribe.”

You can record live audio or upload a pre-recorded file.

Step 2: Start Recording

Click the red record button to begin capturing audio.

Speak clearly and OneNote will timestamp your typed notes.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the audio timer running and words appearing.

Step 3: Review and Insert the Transcript

Stop the recording when you’re finished.

Click “Add to Page” to insert the full transcript into your notes.

How to Use Microsoft OneNote Note Education

注意教育 lets you build class notebooks, distribute assignments, and review 学生 工作。

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Note Education in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Create a Class Notebook

Go to the OneNote Class Notebook wizard or use Microsoft Teams.

Enter your class name and add student email addresses.

Step 2: Set Up Sections

Create a Content Library for read-only materials students can access.

Add a Collaboration Space where students can work together.

Each student gets a private section only you and they can see.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the class notebook with all student sections listed.

Step 3: Distribute Pages and Review Work

Use “Distribute Page” to push assignments to every student at once.

Review student submissions in their private sections and leave feedback.

Microsoft OneNote Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After testing Microsoft OneNote for over two years, here are my best tips.

键盘快捷键

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Internal Wiki Links: Type [[Page Title]] to link between pages and build your own personal wiki inside OneNote.
• Tags for Task Tracking: Use built-in tags like “To-Do,” “Question,” and “Important” to mark and search action items across every notebook.
• OCR Image Search: OneNote automatically indexes text inside images and handwritten notes, making them fully searchable.

Microsoft OneNote Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Saving Notebooks Locally Instead of OneDrive

Mistake #2: Dumping Everything Into One Section

Mistake #3: Ignoring Tags and Search

Microsoft OneNote Troubleshooting

Problem: Notes Not Syncing Across Devices

Cause: Your notebook may be stored locally or OneDrive sync may have paused.

使固定： Right-click the notebook name and select “Sync This Notebook.” Confirm your OneDrive account is connected and has storage space. Restart OneNote if the issue persists.

Problem: Copilot Not Appearing in the Ribbon

Cause: Copilot requires a Microsoft 365 subscription with Copilot access enabled.

使固定： Check that your Microsoft 365 plan includes Copilot. Update OneNote to the latest version. Restart the app and sign in again.

Problem: Ink or Handwriting Not Converting to Text

Cause: The handwriting may be too messy or the language pack is not installed.

使固定： Write more clearly and use the lasso tool to select only the text you want. Go to Settings and install the correct language recognition pack for your writing.

📌 笔记： If none of these fix your issue, contact Microsoft OneNote support.

什么是微软 OneNote？

Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking tool that helps you capture, organize, and share information across all your devices.

Think of it like a physical notebook that never runs out of pages and lives in the cloud.

Watch this quick overview:

It includes these key features:

• 副驾驶： 人工智能驱动 助手 that drafts, summarizes, and rewrites your notes.
• Sketch & Annotate: Draw, highlight, and convert handwriting to text with digital ink.
• 合作： Share notebooks and co-edit with teammates in real time.
• Voice Transcription: Record audio and automatically convert speech to searchable text.
• Note Education: Build class notebooks, distribute assignments, and review student work.

For a full review, see our Microsoft OneNote review.

Microsoft OneNote Pricing

Here’s what Microsoft OneNote costs in 2026:

免费版： Yes — OneNote is free for anyone with a Microsoft account. You get core note-taking features and 5 GB of OneDrive storage.

退款保证： Microsoft offers a 30-day refund window on most subscriptions.

💰 Best Value: Microsoft 365 Personal — You get OneNote with Copilot AI, 1 TB storage, plus Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for under $10/month.

Microsoft OneNote vs Alternatives

How does Microsoft OneNote compare? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Microsoft OneNote — Free, deep Microsoft 365 integration, and Copilot AI built in.
• Best budget: ClickUp — Full project management plus docs starting at $7/month.
• Best for beginners: Notion — Clean interface with drag-and-drop blocks anyone can learn fast.
• Best for meeting notes: Sembly — Automatic transcription and action item detection from every call.

🎯 Microsoft OneNote Alternatives

Looking for Microsoft OneNote alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🚀 组装： AI meeting assistant that auto-transcribes, summarizes, and extracts action items from your calls across Zoom and Teams.
• 💰 概念： All-in-one workspace combining notes, databases, wikis, and project boards in a single drag-and-drop interface.
• 🎨 萤火虫人工智能： Records and transcribes meetings with deep search, speaker tracking, and 客户关系管理 integration for sales teams.
• ⚡ ClickUp： Project management platform with built-in docs, whiteboards, and AI writing that replaces multiple apps.
• 🧠 容量： Object-based knowledge manager that connects ideas visually with a graph view for personal knowledge building.
• 🔧 Taskade： AI-powered team workspace with built-in video calls, real-time collaboration, and automated task workflows.
• 👶 Notejoy: Fast, simple team note-taking app focused on sharing and threaded discussions for quick collaboration.
• 🌟 诺塔: Real-time multilingual transcription tool with high accuracy for meetings and voice notes in 100+ languages.
• 🎯 工艺： Beautifully designed document app with on-device AI for creating rich notes and polished reports.
• 📊 MeetGeek： Virtual meeting assistant that sends automatic email summaries and highlights to all meeting participants.
• 🔥 内存人工智能： AI-first note-taking tool that automatically organizes and surfaces related notes without manual tagging or folders.
• ⭐ Evernote： Classic digital notebook with powerful web clipping, document scanning, and cross-device syncing.

For the full list, see our 微软 OneNote 的替代方案 guide.

⚔️ Microsoft OneNote Compared

Here’s how Microsoft OneNote stacks up against each competitor:

• 微软 OneNote 与 Assembly: OneNote is better for general note-taking. Sembly wins for automatic meeting transcription and action item tracking.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Notion: OneNote is free with great inking. Notion offers more flexibility with databases, boards, and custom views.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Fireflies AI 的对比: OneNote handles typed and handwritten notes. Fireflies focuses on recording, transcribing, and analyzing meetings.
• 微软 OneNote 与 ClickUp 对比: OneNote is a pure note-taking app. ClickUp adds full project management with tasks, goals, and sprints.
• 微软 OneNote 与容量: OneNote uses a notebook-section-page structure. Capacities links ideas as objects in a visual knowledge graph.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Taskade 对比: OneNote works best for solo or team notes. Taskade combines notes, tasks, and video calls in one workspace.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Notejoy 对比: OneNote has deeper Microsoft 365 integration. Notejoy is faster and simpler for quick team note sharing.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Notta: OneNote offers basic transcription. Notta provides far more accurate multilingual voice transcription.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Craft: OneNote is free and feature-rich. Craft offers a more polished design experience for creating beautiful documents.
• 微软 OneNote 与 MeetGeek 的对比: OneNote records audio on the page. MeetGeek auto-joins meetings and sends summaries to your 收件箱.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Mem AI 的对比: OneNote uses manual folders and sections. Mem AI uses AI to auto-organize and surface related notes for you.
• 微软 OneNote 与 Evernote 对比: OneNote is free with strong inking tools. Evernote has better web clipping but now requires a paid plan for most features.

Start Using Microsoft OneNote Now

You learned how to use every major Microsoft OneNote feature:

• ✅ Copilot
• ✅ Sketch & Annotate
• ✅ Collaboration
• ✅ Voice Transcription
• ✅ Note Education

Next step: Pick one feature and try it now.

Most people start with Copilot.

It takes less than 5 minutes.

常见问题解答

What is Microsoft OneNote used for?

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook app for capturing typed notes, handwritten notes, audio recordings, images, and files. It organizes everything into notebooks, sections, and pages. People use it for meeting notes, school work, project planning, and personal journaling across all their devices.

Is Microsoft OneNote free to use?

Yes, OneNote is completely free with a Microsoft account. You get all the core note-taking features and 5 GB of OneDrive storage. Premium features like Copilot AI and extra storage require a Microsoft 365 subscription starting at $9.99/month.

Is Microsoft OneNote being discontinued?

No, Microsoft OneNote is not being discontinued. Microsoft merged the older “OneNote for Windows 10” app into the main OneNote desktop app. The unified OneNote app continues to receive updates, new features, and Copilot AI integration as part of Microsoft 365.

Why should I use OneNote instead of Word?

OneNote is built for quick, freeform note-taking while Word is built for formal documents. OneNote lets you type anywhere on a page, draw with ink, record audio, and organize content into notebooks. Word is better for creating polished reports, letters, and documents with strict formatting.

What is the best way to organize OneNote?

Create separate notebooks for major areas of your life like Work and Personal. Add sections inside each notebook for specific topics. Use pages for individual notes and tags to mark action items. Color-code your sections so you can find things at a glance.