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The best apps for making notes on your smartphone
The life rhythms of modern people are quite intense and it's impossible to remember every single piece of the information we receive. You can write down the list of your daily tasks (meetings, mails, calls and etc.) in a regular notebook, but it's very inconvenient.
Android note taking apps are a much better option. In this review we're going to talk about the best of them:
Google Keep is a perfect notebook stored in the "cloud”
This free app is available to everyone who has Android 4.0.3 and above. Saving a shopping list or a todo-list has never been easier. Google Keep is suitable for adding short memos with different content:
- todo-lists and their status;
- photos or images;
- text and hyperlinks;
- voice notes (Google Keep automatically transforms them into text).
Note taking app features:
- common access to files;
- quick navigation (search by text or color tags);
- content filter by criteria: lists, images and links;
- different color detection of memos and creation of labels and drawings;
- time or geolocation reminders and synchronization with "Google Calendar".
Notes are regularly synchronized with the server. It's easy to access them from a phone or tablet, as well as from a computer at keep.google.com.
ColorNote Notepad Notes is an organizer for every day
It's a very simple note app with a stylish and thought out to the last detail interface.
There are two versions of ColorNote: a program for creating todo lists and a widget for your desktop.
The main capabilities of this note organizer:
- combination of memos by color;
- creation of todo checklists;
- synchronization with a calendar via internet;
- password protection;
- placement of bright notes on a desktop and a change of the font type;
- back up of the content to a memory card;
- sound notifications;
- custom view: table or list;
- advanced search by date, background color or alphabet.
When making a note you can refer to other memos, address book contacts or terms from Wikipedia.
In spite of the lack of common access feature, ColorNote notes manager is a worthy alternative to other similar programs.
FairNote app for maximum safety
Note app for Android which main aim is to protect its content. The advantages of this app:
- no limitation by the number of notes characters;
- convenient sorting by themes (different colors for each theme);
- a note can be shared via other programs easily;
- text encryption and password setting;
- backup creation and integration with Dropbox and Google Drive;
- shortcuts and widget display on your desktop;
- text files import / export.
Notes are displayed on the screen in a list or grid and their types are the following: text and checklists. Notes can be sorted by date, alphabet, labels or color. Reminders are a kind of safety net, which will inform you about a planned meeting or a friendly visit in time.
Free and paid versions of this app can be found on Google Play. The features of its paid version:
- encryption of all files in one click;
- you scan your fingerprint instead of typing a password.
Synchronization between different devices and co-editing of files are absent. Which is, perhaps, the only significant drawback of the Android note app.
Omni Notes is the best notepad app for outdated phones
Many owners of budget or outdated gadgets are looking for a simple and easy program with decent functionality which won't slow down the operation of Android early versions. You'll enjoy Omni Notes app flexible settings, user-friendly navigation and other features.
What type of notes you can make via it:
- text;
- photo;
- lists with marks indicating the completion of tasks.
After you give a name to a note, different options appear: setting a reminder, adding a label / list or attaching a files (including multimedia). Notes can be combined with each other.
Omni Notes allows you to:
- archive its content;
- save backups;
- add shortcuts and widgets;
- save text notes made via Google Now;
- group its content by tags and categories.
Filters by different criteria are also available:
- title;
- the date of creation/modification;
- the date of a set reminder.
In addition to the above mentioned, the notepad app supports co-editing by multiple users.
Evernote is a cross functional notes and multimedia manager
Evernote is a suitable organizer for students, managers and business representatives. With the feature of shared access employees can work on the same file from different devices. All information is synchronized.
Flexible search can find the specified text not only in electronic notes and PDF-files, but also in pictures. Other search settings: by the date of creation or modification, source and tag.
The key features of Evernote:
- creating checklists;
- creating notebooks and large-scale projects with access for chosen ones (business version);
- grouping by labels;
- placing shortcuts and widget on a desktop;
- setting reminders;
- backing up notes and attachments.
The limitations of Evernote free version:
- You can use it only on two gadgets,
- Available traffic is only 60 MB per month,
- No offline mode.
The types of notes:
- audio and video files;
- text with attachments;
- photos;
- handwritten memos scanned via the app;
- web page copies.
Standard Notes: reliability and simplicity
Standard Notes app has a high level of security in order to protect the content of your notes. Its user can set a password for a memo and enable fingerprint scanning.
Your information is stored on the server in encrypted form. Unencrypted files should be sent by email or archived.
Other Standard Notes capabilities: archiving, syncing, automatic backing up to a cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive).
Available filters:
- by title;
- the date of creation;
- the date of modification.
Standard Notes supports only the text forms without any attachments or lists. There is no feature of co-editing.
Notes are displayed on a screen in the form of a list, it's possible to sort them out by their titles and the dates of creation or modification.