Samsung Notes

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Wikipedia

Samsung Notes
DeveloperSamsung Electronics
Initial releaseAugust 19, 2016 (2016-08-19)
Stable release
4.4.30.81[1] Edit this on Wikidata / 29 September 2025
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows, Android
TypeNote-taking software, integrated software
Websitewww.samsung.com/ae/apps/samsung-notes/
As ofNovember 4, 2025
Samsung Notes File Format
Filename extension
.snb
Developed bySamsung
Initial release2011; 14 years ago (2011)
Type of formatNotetaking file format
Extended toDOC, WordProcessingML, PPT, TXT

Samsung Notes (Korean: 삼성 노트) is a note-taking application for Android and Microsoft Windows developed by South Korean company Samsung Electronics. It allows the writing of digital and handwritten notes with embedded photos and audio, sketching and drawing, and also functions as a PDF document reader and annotater.

Samsung Notes is offered freely and is distributed on the Galaxy Store, Google Play Store and Microsoft Store. It is officially only supported on Samsung's own Android devices, but on Windows PCs is no longer restricted to Samsung's devices since 2025.[2]

History

Samsung Notes was launched in 2016 as a single replacement of several older memo and illustration apps on Galaxy Note devices: namely S Note, Scrapbook, Memo, and Action Memo.[3]

On October 3, 2023, it was revealed that Samsung Notes will forcibly stop working on Windows devices unless it is a Galaxy Book.[4] In May 2025, it was reported that Samsung now allows the software to run on all Windows computers, although the Samsung Account app from the Microsoft Store is required for the backend to function.[2]

Samsung also offered Samsung Notes Viewer, a tool specifically for viewing Notes files and until One UI 6 an app called Write on PDF for annotating PDF documents.[5]

Features

Samsung Notes features handwriting to text conversion, note tagging, and sharing in PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and image files.[6] PDF importing and annotating, as well as importing sound recordings (Audio Bookmark) were introduced with the One UI 2.5 update.[7]

Shared Notebooks in Samsung Notes can be shared with others in a user's contactbook or using a direct URL; the recipients are also able to modify and collaborate on a Shared Notebook.[8] Live collaboration between multiple users was added in One UI 5.1.[9] The software also allows securing a note or document using a password or fingerprint.[10]

Using the screen off memo feature, users can write using an S Pen without turning the device screen on, which is then saved onto Samsung Notes.[11]

Google Gemini integration with Samsung Notes was introduced in 2025.[12][13] With the One UI 8 update in 2025, Samsung Notes was updated to support the ability to create notes in landscape mode.[14]

Synchronisation

Notes content are synchronised automatically with the cloud, i.e. Samsung Cloud.[15] Since 2020, Samsung Notes can also be synchronised with Microsoft OneNote so that they can be viewed on PCs.[16][17]

Reception

Lifewire called Samsung Notes "a repository for all notes, in any form", and listed its synchronisation as a positive point. It listed the lack of home screen shortcuts as a disadvantage, as well as the fact access to secured notes are denied temporarily when inputting a wrong password. The website MakeUseOf commented that it "stands out among Android note-taking apps, and its Windows version is equally impressive". However it criticised the fact it is only available for Samsung Windows devices.[6]

TechRadar's Brian Turner felt that Samsung Notes was "as much as an all-purpose sketchbook as a notepad." depending on purpose.[18] In a 2020 review of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, David Phelan of Forbes magazine commented that "in Samsung Notes it has the best app the company has built."[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Stable release".
  2. 1 2 "Samsung Notes finally lets you use the app on any Windows device". Android Authority. 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  3. ↑ T, Nick (2016-08-02). "Samsung Notes app on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a hub for all your notes". PhoneArena. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  4. ↑ Schoon, Ben (2023-10-03). "Samsung Notes for Windows is shutting down for anyone not using a Galaxy Book". 9to5Google. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  5. ↑ "Frequently asked questions about Samsung Notes". Samsung Electronics America. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  6. 1 2 Chauhan, Rishabh (2023-06-20). "The 7 Best Note-Taking Apps for Windows Pen Tablet Users". MUO. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  7. ↑ Petrov, Daniel (2020-08-27). "How to add Audio Bookmarks in the new Samsung Notes 2020 app on the Galaxy Note 20 5G". PhoneArena. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  8. ↑ SamMobile; Matei, Mihai (2023-04-26). "Shared Notebook is a brilliant Samsung Notes collaborative feature". SamMobile. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  9. ↑ Davies, Chris (2023-07-26). "Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 Could Be The Best Android iPad Pro Alternative So Far". SlashGear. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  10. ↑ SamMobile; Matei, Mihai (2022-11-11). "Secure your Samsung Notes documents with a fingerprint or password". SamMobile. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  11. ↑ Foster, Camila (2020-10-20). "Samsung Notes: Become creative with S pen, write screen off memo, sync online, and more". Sammy Fans. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  12. ↑ Schoon, Ben (January 17, 2025). "Gemini may soon be able to tap into Samsung Notes, Calendar, and Reminders".
  13. ↑ Forristal, Lauren (2025-01-22). "Samsung Unpacked: Samsung's Galaxy S25 arrives with a better Google Gemini". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  14. ↑ Peter. "Samsung Notes updated with landscape support, other improvements". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  15. ↑ "Connected Experience | Apps". The Official Samsung Galaxy Site. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  16. ↑ "Samsung's Notes app will soon sync with Microsoft OneNote". Engadget. 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  17. ↑ Peters, Jay (2020-08-05). "Samsung and Microsoft will let you run Galaxy Note 20 apps on your Windows 10 PC". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  18. ↑ Turner, Brian (2025-08-29). "Best note-taking app for Android of 2025". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 2025-10-12. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
  19. ↑ Phelan, David. "Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Review: The Ultimate Samsung, But Is That Enough?". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-05.