| Sticky Notes | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Screenshot of Sticky Notes (previous version) on Windows 10 with insight enabled. The upper half with a yellow background is the typed note. Red text indicates an insight has been identified. The white with black highlight is the selected text for the insight shown in the lower portion of the sticky note. | |
| Developers |
|
| Stable release | 6.1.4.0
/ 29 October 2024[1] |
| Operating system | Windows (XP Tablet PC Edition and higher) |
| Type | Desktop notes |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | onenote |
Sticky Notes is a desktop notes application included in Windows 7,[2] Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11.[3] The app loads quickly and enables users to quickly take notes using post-it note–like windows on their desktop.
Sticky Notes originated in Windows XP Tablet Edition in 2002 and was included with Windows Vista as a gadget for the Windows Sidebar before becoming a standalone program. According to Microsoft, there were eight million monthly Sticky Notes users as of April 2016.[4] Since 2024 it is an integral part of Microsoft OneNote.
Development
The original Sticky Notes was a gadget included with Windows Vista. Gadgets were continued in Windows 7, though Sticky Notes itself became a standalone app built on the Win32 platform, that could still open at startup. This version did not directly support pen input. The default color is yellow, but five other colors are offered. Sticky Notes have jumplists and a taskbar preview, which shows the notes in a stack. Sticky Notes are automatically saved.[5] This version was reused in Windows 8 and the initial releases of Windows 10.[6]
In the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, released in 2016, a new version of Sticky Notes built on the Universal Windows Platform was introduced. It can be launched as a standalone app or part of the Windows Ink workspace. The latter method causes the space behind the notes to become blurred. The new version directly accepts pen input and can recognize words and letters in handwritten text, basic text formatting, pictures. It is designed to be stick to the desktop or move around. The new Sticky Notes provides stock information when a ticker is typed or written, and it provides flight info when a flight number is typed or written.[7] It has Cortana integration and can create reminders from notes that include a date.[8][9] Unlike the Windows 7 version, this version's taskbar preview shows a stock image rather than the notes a user has created. It originally did not have a jump list, but that was added back in version 1.6.2 on February 6, 2017. The app can run on Windows 10 (x86, x86-64, ARM) and Xbox.[8]
This version of Sticky Notes is built in on Outlook.com[10][11][12] and Microsoft Teams.[13]
In August 2024, a new Sticky Notes app built on Win32 was released as a preview. This version has a redesigned look updated to match Windows 11 design principles. Unlike previous versions, this Sticky Notes is integrated with Microsoft OneNote. It added some new features such as always-on-top pinning ability.[14][15][16]
Cross-platform
Sticky Notes can sync notes across multiple devices, not just to Windows 10 devices, but also to iOS and Android devices running Microsoft OneNote and Outlook for Windows.[8][17][18] A web client to edit sticky notes is also available on the OneNote website, at the obscure onenote.com/stickynotes (may not exist anymore) or is located at https://outlook.office.com/mail/notes location.[19][20][21]
On Android devices, Microsoft Launcher can show sticky notes synced with a local instance of the OneNote app.[8][22][23]
References
- ^ "Microsoft Sticky Notes". Microsoft Apps. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "Sticky Notes". Windows 7 Help. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011.
- ^ Devine, Richard. "How to use the Sticky Notes app in Windows 10 to remind you all the things". Windows Central. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
- ^ Freedman, Andrew E. (7 April 2016). "Windows 10 Anniversary Update: Best New Features". Laptop. Purch. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "Beginner Geek: Do More With Windows 7 Sticky Notes". How-To Geek. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Devine, Richard (25 August 2015). "How to use the Sticky Notes app in Windows 10 to remind you all the things". Windows Central. Mobile Nations. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
- ^ Coppock, Mark (3 June 2016). "Sticky Notes app gets new stock ticker and flight info support on Windows 10 Insider". WinBeta. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Get Microsoft Sticky Notes". Microsoft Store. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ^ Guim, Mark (6 July 2016). "How to create a reminder in Sticky Notes on Windows 10". Windows Central. Mobile Nations. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "Create, edit, and view sticky notes in Outlook.com or Outlook on the web". support.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ^ "You can now create new Sticky Notes directly in Outlook for the web - MSPoweruser". 15 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ^ "Microsoft brings Sticky Notes to Outlook for the web - MSPoweruser". 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ^ Branscombe, Mary (June 1, 2021). "Microsoft: This open-source technology points the way to the collaborative future of work". TechRepublic. Archived from the original on 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ^ "New Sticky Notes app on Windows". TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM. Archived from the original on 2025-09-01. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ Mishra, Abhishek (2024-09-19). "Hands on with Windows 11's new Sticky Notes "always on top" feature, now available". Windows Latest. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ Mauro Huculak (2025-01-22). "How to get the most out of Sticky Notes on Windows 11". Windows Central. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ Thorp-Lancaster, Dan (10 October 2018). "Microsoft Sticky Notes are coming to OneNote on iOS and Android (Updated)". Windows Central. Mobile Nations. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ Whitney, Lance (12 July 2019). "How to use Microsoft's Sticky Notes in Windows 10, on the web, and on your mobile device". TechRepublic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ Woods, Rich (31 October 2018). "Sticky Notes is now available on the web". Neowin. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ Viswanathan, Pradeep (31 October 2018). "Microsoft brings Sticky Notes to the web". MSPoweruser. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ Killian, Bell (9 October 2018). "Microsoft is bringing Sticky Notes to iOS". Cult of Mac. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ Thorp-Lancaster, Dan (21 November 2018). "Microsoft Launcher beta gets To-Do and Sticky Notes integration, 'Hey Cortana' support". Windows Central. Mobile Nations. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ Hassan, Mehedi (21 November 2018). "Microsoft Launcher Gets To-Do and Sticky Notes Integration". Thurrott.com. BWW Media Group. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
