Notability

What is Notability?

Notability is a powerful note-taking application designed exclusively for Apple devices, offering a seamless blend of handwriting, typing, audio recording, and PDF annotation capabilities. Developed by Ginger Labs, this app has become one of the most popular productivity tools for students, educators, and professionals who rely on iPads and Macs for their daily work. With its intuitive interface and robust feature set, Notability transforms your Apple device into a comprehensive digital notebook that can handle everything from lecture notes to business presentations.

The app's standout feature is its ability to combine multiple input methods in a single note. You can handwrite with an Apple Pencil, type text, record audio, annotate PDFs, and insert images all within the same document. This multimodal approach makes Notability particularly valuable for educational settings where students need to capture complex information quickly and efficiently. The app's audio recording feature is especially innovative, as it syncs your recordings with your handwritten or typed notes, allowing you to tap on any note to hear what was being said at that exact moment.

Notability has evolved significantly since its launch, continuously adding new features like math conversion, study cards, and enhanced organization tools. The app syncs seamlessly across all your Apple devices through iCloud, ensuring your notes are always accessible whether you're on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. While it was once a one-time purchase, Notability has transitioned to a freemium model with a subscription option called Notability Plus, which unlocks advanced features and unlimited editing capabilities.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Excellent audio recording with note synchronization that lets you replay lectures while seeing what you wrote
• Intuitive and clean interface that's easy to learn for new users
• Seamless iCloud sync across all Apple devices ensures your notes are always up to date
• Robust PDF annotation tools perfect for reviewing documents and textbooks
• Math conversion feature that transforms handwritten equations into typed text
• Excellent Apple Pencil support with smooth, responsive handwriting experience
• Multi-note feature allows you to view and work with multiple notes simultaneously
• Study cards feature helps with memorization and exam preparation
• Shape detection automatically cleans up hand-drawn shapes and diagrams
• Presentation mode for sharing notes during meetings or classes
• Web clips feature allows you to save content from Safari directly into notes
• Powerful search functionality that can find text in handwritten notes
• Dividers and organizational tools help keep notes structured and easy to navigate

Cons:

• Limited to Apple ecosystem only - no Android or Windows support
• Transition from one-time purchase to subscription model frustrated longtime users
• Free version has significant limitations on editing older notes
• Fewer customization options compared to competitors like GoodNotes
• Organization system can become cluttered with many notes
• No built-in OCR for converting handwriting to text (only math conversion)
• Limited template options compared to some competitors
• Audio files can significantly increase storage requirements

Who It's For

Notability is ideally suited for students at all levels, from high school to graduate school, who need a comprehensive note-taking solution for their Apple devices. The app's audio recording feature makes it particularly valuable for college students attending lectures, as they can focus on understanding the material rather than frantically writing everything down. The ability to sync audio with notes means students can revisit complex topics later and hear exactly what the professor was explaining at any given moment. Combined with PDF annotation capabilities, Notability becomes an all-in-one study tool that can handle textbooks, lecture slides, and personal notes.

Professionals who work primarily within the Apple ecosystem will also find Notability extremely useful for meetings, brainstorming sessions, and project planning. Business users can record meetings while taking notes, annotate contracts and proposals, and create presentation-ready documents all within the same app. The multi-note feature is particularly helpful for professionals who need to reference multiple documents simultaneously, such as comparing different versions of a proposal or keeping meeting notes alongside project specifications.

However, Notability may not be the best choice for users who work across multiple platforms or need extensive customization options. If you frequently switch between iPad, Android tablets, and Windows devices, you'll find Notability's Apple-only limitation frustrating. Similarly, users who prefer highly customizable notebooks with extensive template libraries might find GoodNotes or OneNote more suitable. Notability works best for those who are fully committed to the Apple ecosystem and value simplicity and audio integration over extensive customization.

Handwriting

Notability offers an exceptional handwriting experience that takes full advantage of the Apple Pencil's capabilities. The app provides smooth, responsive ink that closely mimics the feel of writing on paper, with minimal latency that makes the writing experience feel natural and fluid. Users can choose from various pen types, including ballpoint, fountain pen, and marker, each with adjustable thickness and color options. The app also includes a highlighter tool that can be used to emphasize important information, and an eraser that can remove entire strokes or partially erase sections of your writing.

One of Notability's standout handwriting features is its shape detection tool, which automatically recognizes and perfects hand-drawn shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and arrows. This is particularly useful for creating diagrams, flowcharts, and technical drawings without needing to switch to a separate drawing tool. The app also includes palm rejection technology that prevents accidental marks when your hand rests on the screen while writing. Additionally, Notability's handwriting recognition allows you to search for text within your handwritten notes, making it easy to find specific information even in extensive note collections.

Audio Recording

The audio recording feature is arguably Notability's most distinctive and powerful capability, setting it apart from most other note-taking apps. When you start an audio recording, Notability automatically syncs it with everything you write, type, or draw during that recording session. This creates a timeline connection between your notes and the audio, allowing you to tap on any part of your notes later and instantly jump to that moment in the recording. This feature is invaluable for students who want to review lectures or professionals who need to reference specific points from meetings.

The audio recording interface is simple and unobtrusive, with controls that don't interfere with your note-taking. You can pause and resume recordings as needed, and the app continues to maintain the sync between audio and notes throughout. The playback feature includes variable speed controls, allowing you to listen at faster speeds to review content quickly or slow down for complex material. Notability also provides visual waveforms that help you navigate through recordings and identify different sections based on audio patterns.

However, it's important to note that audio recordings can significantly increase the storage space required for your notes, especially if you're recording lengthy lectures or meetings regularly. The app stores audio files locally and syncs them through iCloud, which can consume considerable cloud storage. Despite this limitation, the audio recording feature remains one of Notability's most praised capabilities, with many users citing it as the primary reason they choose Notability over competitors. The ability to never miss important information while maintaining focus on understanding rather than transcribing makes this feature particularly valuable for educational and professional use.

PDF Annotation

Notability excels at PDF annotation, making it an excellent tool for students who need to mark up textbooks, worksheets, and lecture slides, as well as professionals who review contracts, reports, and other documents. You can import PDFs from various sources including email, cloud storage services, and web browsers, and then annotate them using all of Notability's tools—handwriting, highlighting, typing, and even audio recording. The app maintains the original PDF structure while allowing you to add unlimited pages of notes alongside the document, giving you space to expand on ideas without cluttering the original material.

The annotation tools include standard features like highlighting, underlining, and text boxes, as well as more advanced options like sticky notes and shape tools for creating diagrams on top of PDFs. You can easily zoom in on specific sections for detailed annotations and use the app's selection tool to move, resize, or delete annotations as needed. When you're finished annotating, Notability allows you to export the marked-up PDF, preserving all your annotations in a format that can be shared with others or submitted for assignments. The combination of PDF annotation with audio recording is particularly powerful for reviewing recorded lectures while following along with the corresponding slides.

Math Conversion

Notability's math conversion feature is a relatively recent addition that has proven particularly valuable for STEM students and professionals who work with mathematical equations. This feature uses advanced handwriting recognition to convert your handwritten mathematical expressions into clean, typed equations. You simply write your equation naturally with the Apple Pencil, select it, and choose the math conversion option. The app then transforms your handwriting into properly formatted mathematical notation that looks professional and is easier to read than handwritten equations.

The math conversion tool recognizes a wide range of mathematical symbols, operators, and structures, including fractions, exponents, square roots, integrals, and Greek letters. While the accuracy is generally impressive, complex equations may occasionally require manual corrections or adjustments. The converted equations can be edited, moved, and resized just like any other element in your notes. This feature is particularly useful when you need to create clean, professional-looking notes for studying or sharing with classmates, or when preparing documents that combine handwritten work with typed explanations. However, it's worth noting that this feature is only available to Notability Plus subscribers, not in the free version.

Study Cards

The study cards feature transforms Notability from a simple note-taking app into a comprehensive study tool. This feature allows you to create digital flashcards directly from your notes, making it easy to review and memorize important information. You can create study cards manually by designating questions and answers, or you can convert existing note content into flashcard format. The cards support both text and images, allowing you to create visual study materials that incorporate diagrams, photos, or handwritten content from your notes.

When reviewing study cards, Notability presents them in a clean, distraction-free interface that helps you focus on learning. You can shuffle the cards for varied practice, mark cards as mastered to focus on challenging material, and track your progress over time. The study cards feature integrates seamlessly with the rest of your notes, so you can quickly jump from a flashcard back to the relevant section of your notes for more context. This integration makes Notability a complete learning ecosystem where you can capture information in lectures, organize it in notes, and then reinforce your learning through active recall with study cards. Like math conversion, the study cards feature is part of the Notability Plus subscription.

Pricing

Notability operates on a freemium model with two tiers: a free version with limited functionality and Notability Plus, a subscription service that unlocks the full feature set. The free version allows you to create and edit new notes without restrictions, but it limits your ability to edit notes that are older than 30 days. This means you can use Notability for free indefinitely for current work, but if you need to make changes to older notes, you'll need to subscribe. The free version also includes basic features like handwriting, typing, audio recording, and PDF annotation, making it functional for users with simple needs.

Notability Plus costs $14.99 per year and removes all limitations on editing older notes while adding premium features like math conversion, study cards, and unlimited cloud storage for your notes. The subscription also includes access to additional customization options and future premium features as they're released. At $14.99 annually, Notability Plus is competitively priced compared to other professional note-taking apps, especially considering the comprehensive feature set and the value of the audio recording capabilities. For students and professionals who rely heavily on digital note-taking, the annual subscription cost is relatively modest compared to the productivity benefits the app provides. The pricing model has been controversial among users who previously purchased the app as a one-time payment, but for new users, the freemium approach allows you to try the app thoroughly before committing to a subscription.

Verdict

Notability stands out as one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly note-taking apps available for Apple devices, with its audio recording and synchronization feature being a genuine game-changer for students and professionals alike. The app successfully combines multiple input methods—handwriting, typing, audio, and PDF annotation—into a cohesive experience that feels natural and intuitive. The interface is clean and uncluttered, making it easy for new users to get started while still offering enough depth to satisfy power users. For anyone deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem who values the ability to capture and review information in multiple formats, Notability is an excellent choice.

The app's limitations are primarily related to its platform exclusivity and the transition to a subscription model. Users who work across multiple platforms or prefer one-time purchases may find these aspects frustrating. Additionally, while Notability offers solid customization options, it doesn't match the extensive template libraries and organizational features found in competitors like GoodNotes. However, for its target audience—Apple users who prioritize audio integration and straightforward functionality—these limitations are relatively minor compared to the app's strengths.

Overall, Notability earns its reputation as one of the top note-taking apps for iOS and macOS. The $14.99 annual subscription for Notability Plus represents good value for users who will take advantage of the premium features, particularly math conversion and study cards. Whether you're a student looking to improve your lecture notes, a professional seeking a better way to manage meeting notes and documents, or anyone who wants a reliable digital notebook that syncs seamlessly across Apple devices, Notability is definitely worth trying. The free version provides enough functionality to determine if the app fits your workflow, and if it does, the Plus subscription unlocks a powerful set of tools that can significantly enhance your productivity and learning.