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Writer's picturePrem Sundaram

Handwriting in Notion with Apple Pencil (Samsung S Pen or Surface Pen) > NoteDex + Notion Support

Updated: Apr 26, 2023


What is Notion?

Notion is a popular database / note taking / knowledge management app that is quite advanced - think database meets notes. It has built up a big community and it is an impressive app. It is mainly text based and people who do a lot of research do like to use it. It does not have the simplicity and visual nature of NoteDex - the two apps are very different. And, as you will see in this article, rather than being competitors, we think NoteDex is complimentary to Notion and helps to solve one feature that users look for : Handwriting and Drawing support to take handwritten notes and draw with Apple Pencil (or other) on an iPad. Check out our YouTube video below.





The Lack of Handwriting Support in Notion

Does Notion support handwriting? A lot of people in work and education use Notion on an iOS iPad with Apple Pencil and seek a way to take handwritten notes in Notion. This is currently impossible and your pencil tool can't be used, there is no notion handwriting support currently. Many users are asking on YouTube: Notion support the Apple Pencil already! It is probably not something that is going to be solved in the short term. Some users on special iPad Pro devices that support Apple Scribble can 'convert' their ink scribble to text. Handwriting to text is not great though, since users really want to see the 'ink' - like how NoteDex users enjoy the ink visual view. People with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) also like to write many short notes using handwriting to capture important information they need to remember. But the most important reason for handwriting is for channeling a persons' creativity, or when needing to write down 'non-text' words like a student learning mathematics in the school classroom.


One of the challenges Notion has is that their app is used on their web page, on a desktop, on a laptop, on tablets and mobile devices like iPhone or Android, so a solution must work across all these.


Enter NoteDex. We have a clever workaround that might just be what you are looking for!


Notion Handwriting Solved: How to take handwritten notes in Notion with an Apple Pencil, Samsung S Pen, or Surface Pen : NoteDex to the Rescue!


To take ink handwritten notes to store in Notion you'll need:


1) Create a Notion account if you don't have one already!

2) Purchase NoteDex (available for a one-time lifetime license of $39.99)

3) Get a digital Pen stylus like an Apple Pencil, Samsung S Pen or Microsoft Surface Pen

Here is a quick tutorial on how you take handwritten notes using Apple Pencil in Notion (or other) using an iPad (or other similar pen enabled device).


1) Create a Stack in NoteDex called Notion

2) Open your first card

3) Start using your pen to draw on the card / take notes. NoteDex auto-detects pen and goes into handwriting mode

Once you have finished you have 3 options:


4a) Use NoteDex 'Copy as Image' feature to copy the image of handwritten notecard and then paste that into Notion


Handwriting in Notion: Option 1: Paste Image from NoteDex
Handwriting in Notion: Option 1: Paste Image of card from NoteDex into Notion


4b) Use NoteDex 'Share Card' feature to paste a web URL of the handwritten NoteDex notecard which you can paste into Notion. This gives a 'live' web version of your card! The amazing feature of NoteDex means that if/when you update your notecard in NoteDex the card is automatically updated in Notion since it's a web-view of your card!


Handwritten card embedded in Notion
Handwriting in Notion: Option 2: Embed NoteDex Card in Notion - live web integration!

And you can even set the card to 'edit' permission so you can edit handwriting inside Notion on the same card!


4c). Power Option: You can actually also embed the whole Stack into Notion. Then ALL your cards in that Stack that you create in NoteDex are visible in your Notion system! Talk about powerful integration! You're done -You're welcome!

Here is what the embed on a whole stack looks like!


Handwriting in Notion: Option 3: Embed NoteDex Stack in Notion
Handwriting in Notion: Option 3: Embed NoteDex Stack in Notion



So there you have it. You can use NoteDex and integrate with Notion and use the support for the Apple Pencil with Notion with NoteDex to draw in Notion (note: NoteDex also works without a stylus pen - you can draw with your finger on your touchscreen). Your Apple Pencil used for handwriting to make notes for iPad, for instance with Goodnotes 5 or Notability, can now be used to take add handwritten notes or add a diagram inside Notion.


What is NoteDex

NoteDex is a cross platform handwriting supported app that works on the principal of index cards. Users take short notes with either text or a pen. Users of NoteDex are often creative and visual people who enjoy capturing ideas and thoughts in handwritten notes. You can create and delete notes using Index Cards style notecards. NoteDex is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Windows Store and on the web!



Conclusion

In this remarkable integration between NoteDex and Notion products, you can use the Apple pencil to use handwriting to take notes and thoughts instead of typing. Since Notion currently doesn't support handwriting then if you're planning to use handwriting the NoteDex-Notion integration could be a great solution. Taking handwritten notes is great not just for your notes but also technical drawings and designs. With Notion being a great collaboration tool your handwritten notes in Notion can easily be shared with your team.


You can either embed the NoteDex card into Notion or insert the image of the card into Notion for safekeeping. Using NoteDex you can sketch and add handwriting to your notion workspace - how cool is that! This will improve your productivity, and just like Notion, NoteDex is cross-platform - so your Apple pencil notes are not limited to your Apple devices! You can see and use them on Android, Windows or even web, desktop and mobile devices all supported with digital ink ready to copy and paste into Notion.


With NoteDex, handwritten notes can be taken, and many options exist in NoteDex for them to be imported into Notion. Use your iPad to create notes or drawings, or use your Galaxy Tablet with Samsung S Pen, or the Microsoft Surface Pro with Pen to take notes natively and use it to write notes with handwritten content. Unlike other a note application like Goodnotes or Notability, you can even embed the whole NoteDex notecard stack in Notion!


Don't have a pen-enabled device? Watch this video to learn how you can create handwritten notes/flashcards using a Wacom graphics tablet. If you are a student you might want to create handwritten maths flashcards - read this blog post if interested!


We think you will want this feature and add additional functionality to just using your keyboard. You will love to use NoteDex embedded feature to create handwritten notes, and boost your note-taking capability. Your friends will be surprised at your new superpower!


Quick Summary: Login to NoteDex, Create a Card - Share Card -Paste Link into Notion and use 'Embed' option. Voila! Handwritten Notes in Notion! And Don't forget to use the 'Edit' option to continue to edit the note in Notion! We hope you enjoyed this blog post.



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