The Notability app is a powerful tool for taking notes, annotating documents, and drawing on your iPad. With its user-friendly interface and various features, it makes organizing and managing your notes a breeze. In this guide, we will walk you through the essential steps to get started with the Notability app on your iPad.
If you received your iPad from NEMCC, Notability for Education is already installed on your iPad. You may use it with unlimited notes. If you are using a personal device, notability can be downloaded and used for free for 3 notes, then you will be asked to purchase the app for continued use.
After opening Notability, tap on the "+" button in the top right corner of the screen.
Select "New Note" from the options that appear.
Choose a template for your note or select a blank page.
Start typing, writing, or drawing on the note using the various tools available.
Tap Pen and start writing with your finger or stylus. Tap Pen again to adjust color, line weight, and style.
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.
Eraser to remove anything you write or draw. Partial Eraser allows you to remove precise details and Whole Eraser erases the entire item.
Select Text and tap anywhere in the note to start typing. Create text boxes, which can be moved anywhere on the page.
Draw selections around ink/sketches to edit; convert handwriting to text.
Tap to take photos, scan documents, and add images to your note. Include GIFs and stickers. Insert sticky notes for quick reminders.
Use to scroll through your note and access hyperlinks outside of Notability. If another tool is selected, use two fingers to scroll up or down.
Record lectures and meetings with Audio Recording; Note Replay syncs recordings with ink automatically.
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.
The Library is located in the left sidebar and houses your notes, subjects, and dividers.
Subjects group notes together
Dividers group subjects together. You can also nest dividers inside each other
The Note List (on the right) displays your notes.
Select in the upper right corner of the Library, next to the to switch between list and grid view. This is also where you can sort your notes.
Select next to Subjects in the sidebar.
Select Add Subject or Add Divider
A new subject or divider will appear and you can name it.
Multiple subjects can be created with the same name.
Once a divider has been created, there is no limit to the number of items living inside of it.
Press and hold (iOS) or right-click (Mac) on an item to Rename it.
Press and hold (iOS) or right-click (Mac) on a Subject to Edit.
Edit Options:
Customize subject color
Lock Subject
Delete Subject
Press Save at the top right corner of the menu.
To move a subject or divider, press and hold, then drag it up or down.
To record audio while taking notes, tap the "Microphone" icon from the toolbox.
To play back the recorded audio, tap the "Play" button that appears on the note. Both the audio and annotations will play back.
Notability offers syncing options with cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
To sync your notes, go to the "Settings" icon (gear) at the top left corner of the screen.
Tap "Auto-Backup" and select your preferred cloud service.
Follow the on-screen instructions to link your account with Notability.
To export a note, open your note and tap the 3 dots in the upper right corner. Select "Quick Share" to save a pdf to another app such as files or Canvas Student. Select "Share Options" to save as a jpeg (picture).
Choose the destination for the exported file, such as Canvas Student or Files.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the export.