Samsung Notes
| Company type | Software application |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Samsung Electronics |
| Headquarters | South Korea |
| Products | Note-taking software |
Template:Unreliable sources Template:Infobox softwareTemplate:Infobox file format Samsung Notes (Template:Ko-hhrm) is a note-taking software application created by the South Korean corporation Samsung Electronics. It supports creating digital and handwritten notes, incorporating images and audio clips, as well as sketching and drawing capabilities, along with the ability to view and annotate PDF files.
This application is accessible on Samsung devices running the Android platform and on Microsoft Windows, distributed through the Galaxy Store, Google Play Store, and Microsoft Store.
History
Introduced in 2016, Samsung Notes consolidated several previous memo and drawing applications found on Galaxy Note devices—specifically S Note, Scrapbook, Memo, and Action Memo—into a single unified app.
On October 3, 2023, it was announced that Samsung Notes would cease functioning on Windows computers except for those classified as Galaxy Book models.
Features
Samsung Notes offers capabilities such as converting handwriting into text, tagging notes, and exporting content as PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and image formats. The introduction of PDF import and annotation, alongside the ability to incorporate audio recordings through the Audio Bookmark feature, came with the One UI 2.5 update.
Users can share their notebooks with contacts or via direct URLs, enabling recipients to edit and collaborate on Shared Notebooks. The One UI 5.1 update further enhanced this by enabling real-time collaboration among multiple users. Additionally, the application provides security options allowing notes or documents to be protected using either a password or fingerprint authentication.
With the screen off memo function, individuals can jot down notes utilizing an S Pen without activating the device’s display; these notes are then automatically saved within Samsung Notes.
Synchronisation
Content created in Samsung Notes is automatically synced with the cloud service, specifically Samsung Cloud. Starting in 2020, synchronization capabilities were expanded to include Microsoft OneNote, permitting users to access their notes on PC platforms.
Related utilities
Samsung provides the Samsung Notes Viewer, a dedicated application designed solely for opening and viewing Notes files. Additionally, they offer an app named Write on PDF, which enables users to add annotations to PDF documents.
Reception
According to Lifewire, Samsung Notes serves as "a comprehensive repository for all types of notes," highlighting its synchronization capabilities as a major strength. However, the absence of shortcuts on the home screen was noted as a drawback, along with the temporary restriction on accessing secured notes after entering an incorrect password. The site MakeUseOf praised Samsung Notes for distinguishing itself among Android note-taking apps and commended its Windows edition as well, though it pointed out the limitation that the Windows version is exclusive to Samsung devices.
Brian Turner from TechRadar described Samsung Notes as functioning "as much as an all-purpose sketchbook as a notepad," depending on user needs. In a 2020 assessment of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, David Phelan of Forbes remarked that Samsung Notes represents "the best application developed by the company."