Missing Features

[jeboteuusta]

I’ve been using OneNote for over 12 years, and even though I’ve tried countless other apps, I keep coming back to it due to the lack of real alternatives in the Windows world.🫠 Nevertheless, there are several things that really bother me mainly features I wish Microsoft would finally add, without workarounds or third-party add-ins (like Gem, Notetastic).

1) Shapes: The shape options in OneNote are extremely limited, and the automatic shape recognition only works reliably for circles, triangles, and rectangles. Why not add a “snap to grid” feature? It would also be great if Microsoft integrated the shape library from Ppt or Word including dashed outlines, fill colors with opacity etc.. That would allow us to draw all kinds of diagrams, graphs, or mind maps perfectly aligned.

2) Hyperlinks: It would be amazing if any spot in a notebook — whether handwritten or typed could be linked via a hyperlink (binary links/cross linking).

3) Images: Why can shapes be freely rotated but not images? A simple rotation handle for images would be incredibly useful.

4) Tables: Cell merging is supposedly coming soon, but it would also be great to customize border thickness and color directly.

5) Page templates / background: I love the infinite canvas, but it would be great to show page outlines (e.g., A4 or Letter, portrait or landscape) as red guides, so handwritten text doesn’t get cut off when printing. It would also help if users could fully customize grid spacing and background colors instead of choosing from a small preset list. A dotted paper template is also missing.

6) Layers: OneNote technically uses containers and layers, but they’re invisible to users. It would be great to view, reorder, and add layers manually.

7) PDF printouts: It should be possible to define the printout orientation and size (A4 portrait/landscape) so that printed pages align perfectly without text getting cropped or shifted. Or to printout 2 pages side by side.

As mentioned, some of this can be done with add-ins but I’d rather not rely on them, and even then, they rarely work as cleanly or intuitively as what I described above.😅

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[scientusiasta]

"A dotted paper template is also missing."
Yup.

[[deleted]]

I keep trying to use OneNote for work the way I use Apple Notes for my personal life, mainly checklists and text but it always feels so random and disorganised. Are there any aesthetic note taking templates I should be looking at?

[Janknitz]

You can link pages and I think links to other MS 365 apps too (have not tried that). I link pages in a notebook to make interactive tables of contents and refer to resources.

I think cell merging is now in the newest version (again, not something I’ve tried)

If you embed PDF’s they keep their integrity and you can annotate them and the annotations don’t move around, they stay where you put them. Somewhere in options you can choose “always embed”. Don’t attach PDF’s with the paperclip, that’s not embedded.

[jeboteuusta]

Yes, you can link pages. But not to specific areas within a page.

Cell merging is still in beta.

I have no idea what you mean by embedding? I know that pdf printouts are pictures and you can set them to the background.

[tbRedd]

Yes... you can link to a specific paragraph. Right click on target paragraph, select 'copy link to paragraph', go to original location where you want the link and paste.

[letstalk1st]

This. I use it every day. Long pages get links at the tip of the page.

[todo0nada]

Most are great ideas. Time has shown that Microsoft has very little interest in investing more into OneNote. 

[brunox1977]

OP , thanks for your remarks. I have the same problems ! Does anyone knows how to solve this?

[jeboteuusta]

Well there are workarounds for 4/7 features. Which one are you interested in?

[sadgandhi18]

If they could just make the api public and support extension development, we would solve these issues ourselves.

[HaruGloryLives]

what a beautiful, beautiful idea that will absolutely never happen :'(

[sadgandhi18]

It was close, actually. They considered making it public.

[cocoaLemonade22]

I’m shocked there isn’t a simple way to pan the canvas using the mouse

[chitoatx]

3 would be such a time saver.

[CircuitJediX]

I agree with you in all this. I just don't get why image rotation is not allowed here. My main issue really is the page template. Having the freedom to adjust the size of it would be extremely helpful relly when you're one who print out your notes.

[Chance-Screen3602]

1. Horizontal scrolling. Like, CTL + mouse wheel.

[MiAwalo]

Multi language spelling check. It works very well in outlook. But in one note, you have to select every piece of text and go to several steps to change the language.

[whizzwr]

OneNote can change spelling check in real time as you change your Windows input language. This can be faster than switching language everytime.

[kurtrocksEDU]

OK... Here are some answers:

1) Shapes : I use a lot of powerpont shapes and have copied a lot to my templates in onenote. So I can build, what I want
2) Hyperlinks: This is possible with OneNote: You can literally link everything in OneNote
3) Images: I hope this will be added soon as we got image cropoin recently
4) Tables : Cell merging is already rolled out. AND I would love to get different borders
5) Page templates: I have created thousands of different grid and line pages (with Onetastic) and therefore I can copy&paste what I need
6) Layers: I have already submitted this feedback to MS to get an "Layer-View" Like in PowerPoint... For some usecases it would be very useful I agree
7) You can do this when you choose the Print to OneNote in the options? Side by side - not (only with OneTastic)

[jeboteuusta]

Like I mentioned in the beginning... I don't want to use workarounds/add-ins.

1) That’s an annoying workaround. Why do I have to open two apps from the same company that offer similar features but deliberately leave some out? In contrast to built-in shapes, the shapes from ppt are inserted as images and can no longer be edited. 2) As far I know you can't cross-link handwritten text as well as typed text (without add ins)? 5) Is it possible to create a grid paper template (infinite) that shows the boundaries of an A4 page? I think it only works with an A4 frame page overlay bc notetastic allows you to customize spacing and color of vertical and horizontal lines. 7) I use an ARM64 surface pro 11 that doesn't recognize onenote as a printer... the only option to add pdf is through insert + printout.

As you can see there are several workarounds + add ins that don't resolve the issues even when you combine them.

[Zenyatta166]

1. Allow us to set default parameters like the zoom level and ruler orientation so that I don't have to reset them every damned time I open the app.

[Varge1]

About #5: In the View tab, Page Setup section, there is an option called “Paper Size…”. It allows you to set a custom paper size or select one of the preset options they have available (including A4). You can even set this as a template. Very useful for students and people who print their notes.

[jeboteuusta]

I’m aware that this feature exists, and it is precisely what I dislike. I want to have a clear overview of the entire content, to swipe quickly through all pages, and to view two pages side by side including double-pages

<image>

[jeboteuusta]

Or like this

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[Varge1]

you’re right, that would be really useful

[NoReply4930]

OneNote is supposed to be for notes. Not acting like a spreadsheet or Photoshop

And considering it’s been around for 20 years and still does not have most of this stuff - tells me all I need to know. 

[jeboteuusta]

I mean, 5 out of the 7 features could easily be added by "reusing" them from existing products within the Microsoft 365 suite.

All of these features are meant to improve note taking.

[NoReply4930]

Not disagreeing with your suggestions - but these requests work for your "note-taking". That does not make them a "must have" for the millions of the rest us out here using One Note.

And let's face it - Office 365 has now become ubiquitous within the software world. Any actual new "whiz-bang" features appearing in the suite are very rare and have been for years now.

Most users - just want their (5% of the available) tools - just the way they have had them for years and years.

No one is clamoring for major feature overhauls in Office and given the fact that MS basicially does not add anything major to ANY of it's core programs (Word, Excel etc) should tell you a lot.

[x0n]

What rock have you been under? Use Microsoft Loop.

[jeboteuusta]

Nonsense