Handwriting on iPad

Handwriting on iPad: a reader asks…

I’m starting to use my Apple iPad more than a computer these days, and I just purchased an Apple Pencil. I’m not quite sure where to go from here. My finger is fine for tapping things, the Pencil doesn’t really help much there. For note-taking, I’m getting used to using my voice to dictate, but that doesn’t work in meetings with other people. I’m also not ready to jump into having AI take notes for me. I guess my question is about handwriting – is there a great app out there that I can use to take notes, that will convert my handwriting into text?

Before you consider 3rd party apps, you might want to first take a look at how the built-in Apple Notes app works with the Apple Pencil. Apple has a support article (see https://support.apple.com/en-us/121259) that can guide you, but here’s a quick rundown:

• Open the Notes app, start a new Note, and then use your Pencil to start writing.
• You can use cursive or block printing, and you can even mix the two.
• Your iPad does a pretty good job of turning your handwriting into text on the fly. So you can write a word and then write the next word either to the right or underneath: the handwriting will disappear, and text will appear at the top. This is not like writing a line of handwriting, but it only takes a minute to get used to writing word by word. Best part: you don’t need to drag your hand across the screen; you can park it and write most words without having to move your hand!
• It transcribes (handwriting to text) on the fly as you write, so not great for writing stream-of-consciousness. But for quick meeting notes, it works really well. Even if your handwriting is…less-than-neat.
• For lefties or right-handed people, it does a good job of ignoring your palm resting on the iPad screen.
• You can adjust some settings for your Pencil at Settings > Apple Pencil. This lets you choose how to control the Pencil, which has a squeeze zone on it to bring up a menu of items, along with the usual icons at the top.
• If you make a mistake, you can scribble over the converted text to erase it. You can also circle the text to delete or copy it.

I actually prefer to use both Pencil and finger: Pencil for writing, and my finger to make corrections, etc. The moment you tap your finger on the screen, a keyboard appears, and the moment you start using your Pencil, the keyboard disappears. Neat!

Since you’re new to using handwriting, I’d give this a try and see if you find it useful. I should also note that other apps have handwriting capability built in. Such as the Mail app or any of the Apple apps that came with your iPad. Even most 3rd party apps will work, although each one may have little quirks. Once you’ve mastered taking notes in the Notes app, you can try out using the Pencil in others.

If you want to write more traditionally, then the instant conversion that Notes does may not work for you. For that, you can look at 3rd party notes apps. There are plenty of good options for handwriting; one of the best I’ve seen is GoodNotes. It’s a pretty comprehensive tool that does a lot, and has a bit of a learning curve, but the company has plenty of tutorials to help you through that. It has a limited free version, but most people take the Pro version, which costs $35.99/year (and you can start with a 7-day trial before you commit). It does have a setting where you can adjust your palm location (for lefties or righties, as well as the direction of your Pencil, up, horizontal, or down).

So welcome to the world of handwriting, and please take some time to practice using the Pencil and either the Notes or another app before you jump into using it for meeting notes. I don’t think it’ll take long for you to become facile enough to scribble down great notes!