Quick Links
Many Evernote users only tap into the basics of what this powerful note-taking app offers. Beyond basic note storage, Evernote is packed with powerful features that can streamline your workflow, keep your projects organized, and make your life easier. So, what are some Evernote features you might be overlooking?
1Improve Your Writing With AI Assistance
As a relatively new feature, you may not yet be familiar with the integration of AI assistance in Evernote. This powerful assistant can help you draft content from scratch, summarize long notes for quick context or speed up research, fix typos with one click, adjust your content’s tone for different audiences, and more.
To use this feature, select the text you want to refine, click theAIdrop-down menu, and choose your desired action. On the Evernote smartphone app, you may refine the entire document at once as long as it’s between 10 and 6,000 words. If you often need to translate text between different languages, the AI assistant can do that for you.
2Search Within Attachments
One of my favorite Evernote features is its ability to search within attachments like PDFs, documents, images, and more. This saves me from manually opening each file to find specific information. I simply select the note I want to search, enter my keyword, and Evernote finds the relevant information for me.
Evernote’s advancedOCR technology recognizes text in images, making it easy to locate relevant data with a quick search, even if it’s handwritten and scanned. To use this feature, type your search term in the search bar in the top-left corner, press Enter, and Evernote will quickly show you the relevant matches across your attachments.
In the screenshot below, I searched for “Shell Infrastructure Host,” which appears in the Windows Task Manager screenshot.
3Digitize Your Physical Notes
Evernote’s smartphone app has a convenient scanning feature that lets you digitize handwritten notes directly into your notebooks. Since discovering it, I’ve dropped all my otherdocument-scanning apps. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology allows you to search for specific text within scanned images.
To use it, open a note in the Evernote app, tap on the plus button at the bottom left, and tap onCamera. Set the scan mode toAutoto let Evernote capture pages automatically, then clickSaveto import them into your notes. If auto mode doesn’t capture perfectly, you can switch to manual mode to capture and scan each image manually.
4Use Evernote Web Clipper
The Evernote Web Clipper is another handy tool many users don’t fully explore. It allows you to save entire web pages, articles, or selected snippets directly into Evernote. My favorite part is how it keeps the original formatting, along with images and links, making it an invaluable tool for research. It could significantly speed up your research process.
To use it, install theEvernote Web Clipper extensionon your browser, then open the webpage you want to save. The extension will let you clip the entire page, some sections, just the text, specific sections, or even take screenshots. After clipping, clickSave Clip, and Evernote will import it straight into your notes. This makesEvernote a great tool for studying.
5Categorize Your Notes With Tags
As your Evernote space fills up, locating the correct file in a crowded library of notes can become challenging. To manage this, I use Evernote tags to categorize notes by the type of content they contain, like “October Salary Sheet” or “Real Estate Proposal Summary,” making it easy to find them later through tag searches.
To tag a note, click the tag icon at the bottom-left of the note (desktop app) or top-right (smartphone app), type your desired tag, and press Enter. You can even assign multiple tags to a note if it relates to multiple categories, allowing it to appear in various searches. This feature will help keep your data organized and easy to access.
6Integration With Google Drive
I useGoogle Workspace appslike Docs, Sheets, and Slides at work, and Evernote’s Google Drive integration combines the best of both platforms. This integration lets me attach Google Drive files directly in Evernote without switching apps. Plus, I can use Evernote’s search to find content in those files.
To connect Google Drive to Evernote, click theInsertmenu (the plus icon), selectGoogle Drive, and sign in with your Google Account; grant access permissions if asked. To add a file, navigate toInsert > Google Driveagain, choose your file, and it’ll appear in your note. This integration makes collaboration seamless and efficient.
7Save Frequently Used Notes as Shortcuts
Evernote automatically keeps track of recently accessed notes, but they’re replaced when you view new notes during your session. This can make finding important (or frequently needed) notes a hassle. To avoid this, I use Evernote’s Shortcuts feature, which allows me to add frequently used notes, tags, and searches for quick access.
This feature is incredibly useful, as it keeps my essential notes just a click away. To add a note as a shortcut on the Evernote desktop application, open the note, click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner, and selectAdd to Shortcuts. It will then appear in the Shortcuts section on the left sidebar.
On the mobile app, open the note, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and chooseAdd to Shortcuts.
8Audio Record Your Notes
When I’m tired of typing in Evernote, I turn to the audio recording feature in the app to record notes by voice. While it’s not perfect, I appreciate that it allows transcription of audio notes, making it easy to refine and correct mistakes later. This feature is particularly helpful for students and writers who frequently need to jot down ideas quickly.
To record a voice memo in Evernote, go to theInsertmenu at the top and selectAudio Recording. If prompted, allow Evernote to access your microphone. Then, record your voice note and click thered stopicon when finished. To transcribe the audio, simply click theTranscribebutton.
On the mobile app, tap the+icon in the bottom-left corner, chooseAudio, and follow the instructions to start recording.
If you’re not using these Evernote features, you’re missing out on the app’s full potential. Integrate these often-overlooked tools into your routine to make the most of what Evernote has to offer.
