OrigNotes
Notes, PDF Markup & Mind Maps
Free · Designed for iPad
OrigNotes is a powerful, free digital note-taking app built for iPad and iPhone.
Whether you're taking handwritten notes, annotating PDFs, organizing ideas with mind maps, or capturing inspiration with images, audio, and video, OrigNotes gives you the tools to keep everything in one place.
Write naturally with Apple Pencil, convert handwriting into editable text, search through your notes, and customize your workspace to fit the way you think and work.
OrigNotes is free to use, and we're committed to keeping it that way.
If you're enjoying OrigNotes, we'd greatly appreciate a 5-star review. Your support helps us continue improving the app and building new features for everyone.
Have an idea or feature request? Leave us a review or contact us directly through the app. You can also check our Future Plans inside OrigNotes to see what we're working on and follow the progress of upcoming features.
KEY FEATURES
• Handwriting & Drawing
Enjoy a natural writing experience with a variety of pens, brushes, and creative tools designed for Apple Pencil.
• PDF Reading & Annotation
Import PDFs to read, highlight, annotate, draw, and take notes directly on your documents.
• Mind Maps
Create mind maps to organize ideas, study topics, and brainstorm visually. Add topics and subtopics, drag and rearrange nodes, and customize your mind map to fit your ideas.
• Handwriting to Text
Turn handwritten notes into editable text for easier editing, organizing, and reuse.
• Powerful Search
Find information faster by searching handwritten notes and text inside PDFs.
• Images, GIFs, Audio & Video
Bring your notes to life with images, animated GIFs, audio, and video—all within your notebook.
• Personalized Notebooks
Customize covers, paper templates, and themes to create a workspace that feels like your own.
• Custom Toolbar & Tool Box
Arrange your favorite tools around the way you work and keep the ones you use most within easy reach.
• Smooth Writing Experience
Optimized handwriting, palm rejection, and Apple Pencil interactions help writing feel smooth, responsive, and natural.
• Easy Organization
Organize and sort your documents, bookmark important pages, and quickly get back to the content you need.
• Data Protection & Backup
Multiple backup options and improved data protection help keep your important notes safe.
• Cloud Backup
Back up your notebooks to cloud storage for easier long-term storage and management.
MADE FOR THE WAY YOU TAKE NOTES
From class notes and study materials to work documents, PDF annotation, brainstorming, and everyday ideas, OrigNotes gives you a flexible space to capture, organize, and develop your thoughts.
Simple when you need it. Powerful when you need more.
Write. Think. Create. Organize.
All in OrigNotes.
more 2.0.4 Release Notes:
New Features:
1. Added support for importing notes from and automatically backing them up to Quark Drive and OneDrive.
2. Added Mac canvas controls for drawing with a mouse, panning, zooming, turning pages, and using common editing shortcuts.
3. The AI assistant now renders Markdown and math formulas as responses stream. You can also choose separate models for chat and image recognition.
Improvements:
1. Improved chat history loading, scroll positioning, and image sending in the AI assistant.
2. Added hourly cloud backup intervals, clearer upload status, and improved options for keeping a copy or replacing a note during restoration.
3. Improved image and text box selection and resizing, with easier-to-grab handles on small selections.
4. Improved scratch paper previews, mind map node text, and thumbnails for some complex PDFs.
Bug Fixes:
1. Fixed a layout issue when switching between list and grid views while the home screen was refreshing.
2. Fixed an issue switching between Favorites and Thumbnails with two windows open, and a potential crash when dragging page thumbnails.
3. Fixed a potential crash when swiping to select photos and added an error message when image sharing from Quick Access fails.
4. Fixed unintended marks when writing while the canvas was still scrolling, and an issue that could prevent drawing after quickly switching to the eraser.
5. Fixed an issue where the feedback form could be cut off at the bottom or close unexpectedly while typing.
2.0.4 15 hr ago
2.0.3 Release Notes:
New Features:
1.Introduced the Feedback Center to submit issues and suggestions, attach images and files, or select a note to share
2.Track feedback status, view developer replies, and enable reply notifications
Improvements:
1.Added support for iPhone Duo, with improved layouts and interactions across screen configurations
2.Improved text pen layout, including character spacing and baseline alignment
3.Improved thumbnail rendering and cover generation for complex PDFs
4.Improved home screen window resizing, canvas undo operations, and accidental touch prevention
5.Updated the default free AI model and improved thinking mode and chat theme appearance
6.Improved feedback upload progress, attachment handling, and keyboard interactions to prevent accidental dismissal while editing
Bug Fixes:
1.Fixed an issue where images and handwriting could become misaligned after copying with the lasso tool
2.Fixed an issue where the long-press menu could fail to appear in certain writing modes
3.Fixed text box position shifts after dragging with multiple fingers
4.Fixed potential conversion result errors when cancelling and then reimporting Office files
5.Fixed crashes that could occur when opening notes
6.Fixed an issue where app icon changes were not immediately reflected
2.0.3 28 Oct
2.0.2 Release Notes:
New Features:
1.Clear a selected layer across all pages, with options to remove all content or handwriting only
2.Support for internal page links and web links in PDFs
3.Long-press to select text
4.Rename notes directly from note details in editor tabs
Improvements:
1.Optimized startup and search data synchronization for better responsiveness with large note collections
2.Improved repeated pasting and lasso selection resizing
3.Improved toolbar scroll indicators, automatic floating, and wrapping
4.Optimized PDF importing and compression, and refined translations
Bug Fixes:
1.Fixed blank PDF exports and missing links after compression or export in certain cases
2.Fixed an issue that could prevent leaving the editor after importing and compressing a PDF
3.Fixed handwriting disappearing at the minimum zoom level
4.Fixed original images reappearing after cropping
5.Fixed potential crashes when repeatedly deleting in the calculator, dragging stickers, or leaving the editor
6.Fixed other known issues and improved overall stability
2.0.2 14 Oct
2.0.0 Release Notes:
Improvements:
Improve the stability of the system
2.0.1 29 Sept
2.0.0 Release Notes:
Improvements:
1.Mind maps now support collapsing nodes and branches from the central topic
2.Recorded audio can now be transcribed into text, with clearer time ranges
3.Bookmarks on the same page can now be reordered by dragging
4.Improved category switching, sidebar animations, and multilingual text
Bug Fixes:
1.Fixed an issue that could affect content when merging notes
2.Fixed an issue that allowed canvas or layer switching after a save failure
3.Fixed issues with PDF rendering, screen transitions, and sidebar layout
4.Fixed other known issues and improved overall stability
2.0.0 28 Sept
Version 1.9.9:
New Features:
1. Added Mind Maps with customizable themes, flexible node editing, drag-and-drop organization, and more
2. Added paragraph snapping for the Text Pen for easier alignment and editing
3. Added GIF support to make your notes more expressive
Improvements:
1. Improved overall performance and stability, especially for complex notes
2. Improved PDF export stability for large files and complex content
3. Enhanced data storage and recovery to better protect your notes
4. Improved overall interactions and performance
Bug Fixes:
1. Fixed data issues that could occur in certain situations
2. Fixed occasional PDF export failures and crashes
3. Fixed other known issues for a more stable experience
1.9.9 9 Sept
1.9.8 Release Notes:
Improvements:
1.Added mixed gesture support and quick finger editing for a smoother writing and editing experience
2.Added audio format options for recordings
3.Improved the toolbar, pen case, and data recovery workflows
Fixes:
1.Fixed an issue where the toolbar position might not be saved
2.Fixed an issue where automatic pen case deselection might not take effect
3.Fixed camera permission and localization issues
4.Improved the stability of note importing and text editing
5.Fixed other known issues and improved overall stability
1.9.8 30 Aug
1.9.7 Release Notes:
Improvements:
1.Improved the video playback experience and stability during loading and switching
2.Improved text formatting, including bold and underline
Bug Fixes:
1.Fixed text editing issues that could occur in certain situations
2.Fixed an issue where some videos might not play properly
3.Fixed an issue that could occur when renaming notes
4.Fixed other known issues and improved overall stability
1.9.7 24 Aug
1.9.6 Release Notes:
New Features:
1.Added a customizable toolbar with support for reordering and hiding tools
2.Added layer management for images and text
3.Added support for multiple bookmarks on the same page and PDF outlines when exporting
4.Added an option to quickly reopen the last edited note
5.Added an option to turn images into stickers
6.Added pen box support for the laser pointer
Improvements:
1.Improved pen box management and tool switching
2.Improved the display of draft paper, floating toolbars, and multiple windows
3.Improved PDF compatibility and processing stability
4.Improved cloud task handling and error notifications
5.Improved toolbar localization and empty-state displays
6.Improved data saving to better protect note content
Bug Fixes:
1.Fixed an issue where note changes might not be saved promptly in certain situations
2.Fixed an issue that could create duplicate notes
3.Fixed crashes that could occur when fitting shapes and in certain other situations
4.Fixed an issue that could cause cloud storage tasks to become unresponsive
5.Fixed display issues affecting side folders, draft paper, and bookmark dialogs
6.Fixed issues affecting multi-window refreshes, toolbar states, and certain UI elements
1.9.6 23 Aug
1.9.5 Release Notes:
New Features:
1.Added a side thumbnail panel that can be docked to the left or right for faster page browsing, navigation, and switching
2.Added full-text search for PDF text, text boxes, and handwriting, with quick navigation and highlighting of search results
3.Added System, Compatibility, and Optimized PDF rendering modes for different document types
4.Added PDF compression to reduce resource usage and improve opening and page-turning speed for complex PDFs
5.Added text recognition and selection for images
6.Added the option to delete Time Machine history records
Improvements:
1.Improved the detection and rendering of complex or unusual PDFs for better compatibility and stability
2.Improved cloud backup history and task status display, with clearer notifications when the network is unavailable
3.Added Warm Yellow, Mist Blue, Soft Pink, Lavender, Deep Blue, and Deep Brown eye-comfort colors
4.Improved the performance and usability of draft paper and multi-page notes
5.Improved resizing and scaling of floating video windows
Bug Fixes:
1.Fixed page scaling, page turning, and page number display issues in certain situations
2.Fixed issues affecting cloud backups, downloads, and file access
3.Fixed an issue that could cause draft paper to become unresponsive
4.Fixed an issue where some text could be displayed incompletely
5.Fixed an issue where the interface might not refresh after deleting or reordering pages
6.Fixed incorrect floating video window sizes in certain situations
1.9.5 6 Aug
Version 1.9.4 Release Notes
Improvements:
1. Improved the editing experience in landscape mode for smoother operation.
Bug Fixes:
1. Fixed an issue with the redo workflow after undoing changes in landscape mode.
1.9.4 25 Jun
Version 1.9.3 Release Notes
Improvements:
1. Improved data saving stability and reliability.
2. Enhanced data handling in edge-case scenarios.
Bug Fixes:
1. Fixed an issue where note content could fail to save under rare circumstances.
1.9.3 25 Jun
Version 1.9.2 Release Notes
Optimizations:
1. Improved Text Pen recognition efficiency.
2. Optimized Pen Box UI display and interaction experience.
Bug Fixes:
1. Fixed an issue where the Pen Box UI status did not match the selected tool.
2. Fixed several known issues.
1.9.2 23 Jun
Version 1.9.1 Release Notes
New Features:
1. Added Text Pen – automatically converts handwriting into clean, well-formatted text.
2. Added Handwriting Beautification to the Lasso Tool – convert existing handwriting into standard text with a single tap.
3. Added a Stop button for AI Chat – cancel responses anytime while they are being generated.
Improvements:
1. Improved performance and reduced memory usage for large notes and handwriting-heavy documents.
2. Enhanced PDF rendering and compatibility.
Bug Fixes:
1. Fixed an issue with writing state synchronization after zooming in Continuous Mode.
1.9.1 23 Jun
1.9.0 Update Log:
New functions:
Add context association ability to the AI function, and add the thinking mode at the same time
Fix bug:
1. Fix the bug that double-click withdrawal does not take effect in the continuous mode of pen and brush.
2. Fix the bug that some large PDFs may not be displayed
1.9.0 26 May
1.8.9 Update log:
New functions:
1. Two new custom brushes: pen and brush, bringing richer writing and painting effects. The "pen" and "brush" in the previous version have been adjusted to feather pen and ink pen.
2. The dotted line pen has added the square dotted line type, which can now draw more designed square dotted lines.
3. Quick access page supports custom page number range selection, you can directly enter numbers and quickly select the specified page.
Function optimization:
1. Optimize the data preservation mechanism and improve the stability and reliability of note data.
2. New data anomaly prompts under low remaining storage space to help you discover and deal with potential risks in a more timely manner.
1.8.9 25 May
1.8.8 Update Log:
New functions
1. Smear and delete: The content can be deleted by smearing quickly. There is no need to switch the eraser tool frequently, and the writing is smoother.
2. New dotted line pen: support free drawing of dotted lines and dotted lines to meet more marking needs
3. New line pen: can quickly draw a variety of marking lines such as wavy lines and dotted lines.
4. Indicator optimization: page number and zoom indicator add "automatic" mode, and the canvas will be automatically hidden when silent to obtain more writing space.
Function optimization
1. Optimize multilingual translation expression, and the overall reading experience is more natural.
2. Optimize the export task logic and reduce the problem of abnormal occupancy in export
3. Optimize the stability of recording preservation
1.8.8 11 May
1.8.7 Update log:
New functions
1. Custom paper: Support free configuration of paper style when creating notes to meet different record needs
2. Smart cover generation: new "no cover" option, which can automatically generate covers according to the content of the home page
3. Paper expansion upgrade: Support custom paper type when adding paper, which is more flexible to use
4. Draft export by content: PDF export supports two modes of "by actual content" or "by proportion" (which can be switched in the settings)
5. Graphic fitting and coloring: New graphic automatic fitting and coloring function (can be turned on in the writing settings)
Function optimization:
1. Optimize multilingual translation expression and improve the overall reading experience
2. New withdrawal/redo support for text and pictures, editing is more efficient
1.8.7 24 Apr
1.8.6 Update Log:
New functions:
1. The page extension function has been added, which can be freely expanded left and right.
2. The filtering function has been added to add links to enter the URL.
Fix BUG:
1. Fix the problem that there is no handwritten content in the exported picture
2. Fix the problem that the draft paper eraser cannot be double-clicked to switch in pencil2
1.8.6 10 Apr
1.8.5 Update Log:
Fix BUG:
1. Fix the problem that adding links may disappear in continuous mode
2. Fix the problem that the data is returned and restored after eraser erasing
1.8.5 28 Mar
1.8.4 Update log:
New functions:
1. New draft paper function, super-large free canvas, write at will, graffiti, record inspiration at will
2. Add theme configuration to the menu, support personalized configuration pop-up menu theme, and create an exclusive visual style.
3. Anti-mistake setting, undo/redo button adds the "do not perform operation" option to avoid accidental touch
4. The function of clearing chat records has been added to AI settings, and privacy is more controllable.
5. New rolling stuck automatic switching function, sliding more smooth and stable
Fix BUG:
1. Fix the possible blank problem of privacy reset password
2. Fix the problem that the memo text cannot be dragged to the note
1.8.4 24 Mar
1.8.3 Update Log:
New functions:
1. The side folder can display the number of hidden notes, which is convenient for users to quickly understand the storage of notes.
2. The calculator adds a new calculation history function, which is convenient to check the previous calculation process and no longer miss important calculation data.
3. The automatic backup function of the note cloud disk adds a button to select all notes to improve the efficiency of batch backup operations.
4. AI reply supports viewing formulas, so that the content of complex formulas is displayed more clearly and easy to understand the relevant reply content.
Optimize functions:
1. Optimize the functions related to large recording to reduce the probability of flashback due to too large recording files.
2. Join the cloud disk automatic backup reminder to help users know the backup status in time and ensure data security.
3. A new flashback reminder for exporting PDF has been added. If flashbacks occur due to too large files and other reasons during the export process, users can be informed in time and take corresponding measures, such as downsing the PDF split threshold.
1.8.3 13 Mar
1.8.2 Update log:
New functions:
1. Strengthen PDF support and add reading support for encrypted PDF files to meet more file processing needs.
2. PDF export optimization. When exporting PDF, you can choose whether to include tape layers to achieve personalized output.
3. Expand file compatibility and improve compatibility with ZIP files
1.8.2 3 Mar
1.8.1 Update Log:
New functions:
1. With the new font import function, double-click the text tool to quickly import custom fonts.
2. With the new scrolling mode optimization, you can freely choose a more suitable scrolling method according to the needs of use.
3. New scaling adaptation in horizontal and vertical modes to improve the user experience in different reading directions.
4. When creating notes and modifying covers, add the entrance to select pictures from the album.
5. Add the "Restore" option for the folder color setting, which is convenient to quickly restore the default state.
Experience function:
1. Optimize the interactive experience of the thumbnail interface, and make the operation smoother.
2. Optimize the problem of the keyboard pop-up when entering numbers to improve the input stability.
3. Optimize the position offset problem in continuous mode of graphic fitting.
1.8.1 1 Mar
1.8.0 Update log:
Optimize the function:
1. Optimize the transition animation when loading pdf
2. Optimize the function of iOS26 to swipe left to exit the page
Fix the bug:
Fix the bug of data incompatibility uploaded to Alibaba Cloud disk large files
1.8.0 17/12/2025
2.0.4 Release Notes:
New Features:
1. Added support for importing notes from and automatically backing them up to Quark Drive and OneDrive.
2. Added Mac canvas controls for drawing with a mouse, panning, zooming, turning pages, and using common editing shortcuts.
3. The AI assistant now renders Markdown and math formulas as responses stream. You can also choose separate models for chat and image recognition.
Improvements:
1. Improved chat history loading, scroll positioning, and image sending in the AI assistant.
2. Added hourly cloud backup intervals, clearer upload status, and improved options for keeping a copy or replacing a note during restoration.
3. Improved image and text box selection and resizing, with easier-to-grab handles on small selections.
4. Improved scratch paper previews, mind map node text, and thumbnails for some complex PDFs.
Bug Fixes:
1. Fixed a layout issue when switching between list and grid views while the home screen was refreshing.
2. Fixed an issue switching between Favorites and Thumbnails with two windows open, and a potential crash when dragging page thumbnails.
3. Fixed a potential crash when swiping to select photos and added an error message when image sharing from Quick Access fails.
4. Fixed unintended marks when writing while the canvas was still scrolling, and an issue that could prevent drawing after quickly switching to the eraser.
5. Fixed an issue where the feedback form could be cut off at the bottom or close unexpectedly while typing.
more Version 2.0.4 15 hr ago
Data Not Linked to You The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
