GoodNotes 4
By Stacy Zeiger,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Solid digital note-taking app helps kids get organized.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
GoodNotes 4
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
Instead of using actual notebooks, users of GOODNOTES will take and organize their notes in digital notebooks. Although they may look like traditional composition notebooks on the outside, they're definitely not limited to the lined sheets of paper. Instead, note-takers can fill the notebooks with graph paper, lined paper, blank paper, and even their own templates, allowing them to take notes on whatever background they desire. As they take notes, not only can they write in their own text or draw images, they also can highlight, add images, or even search their notes to find specific information.
Is It Any Good?
GoodNotes has a fairly intuitive design, which makes it easy for note-takers to jump right in and start taking notes without too much instruction. Although it comes with multiple features designed to make the process easier and more effective, it focuses on having users write notes using their own handwriting rather than typing text. For those without a stylus or who have sloppy handwriting, this could prove to be a frustration, particularly when the handwriting tool attempts to correct the handwriting and creates more illegible text. Fortunately, developers have included an option to type with a text box, although it may take users some time to learn how to use it.
With a stylus, good finger control, and discovery of the text-box feature, however, note-takers will appreciate the ability to organize their notes into clearly labeled notebooks and quickly flip through all the pages in a notebook using the thumbnail feature. They'll also have the ability to mark up PDF documents and save the notes they've made on them. The ability to share pages through multiple cloud sources also makes it easy for note-takers to share their notes or easily access them whenever they need them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why note-taking can be important. Ask your kids if they retain information best when they hear it, see it, or write it down themselves. What does taking good notes mean to your kid?
Show your kids how you keep organized, whether it's through to-do lists, spreadsheets, or notes scribbled on napkins. Ask them why it's good to have your own system for keeping your life in order.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: writing
- Skills: Creativity: brainstorming, Communication: conveying messages effectively, multiple forms of expression, Tech Skills: digital creation
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: February 24, 2014
- Category: Productivity
- Publisher: Time Base Technology Limited
- Version: 4.13.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated: December 13, 2018
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Download
Our Editors Recommend
Writing Apps and Websites
Journal Apps, Online Diaries, and Digital Scrapbooks
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate