GoodNotes 5 from Hong Kong enjoys a high reputation among note-taking apps, and was even selected as the best iPad app of the year in the 2022 Apple App Store Awards. But unfortunately, GoodNotes has only appeared in the Apple ecosystem all the way, and this situation will finally change in 2023. They started the testing of Android and Windows Beta version in April this year, which is open to interested Android users. And this Beta version test also ended on August 9th. It is estimated that the official version will be released to Android and Windows users at a later time.
If you have an Android device, including an open reader such as Aragonite BOOX, you may wish to try this Beta version. Although the official said that at least 3GB of RAM is required, a Samsung tablet of 6 inches or above is suitable for trial use, and this Beta version can be installed directly on Google Play . Regardless of whether it is the two Google Pixel phones or the Aragonite BOOX reader that the store owner has on hand, Google Play says they are not compatible, but there are still ways to use them. (In particular, for some reason, Bigme InkNote Color is a compatible device and can be downloaded and used directly) As long as you search and download the APK of GoodNotes for Android [BETA] on the Internet, you can install it directly. But keep in mind that Chrome must be installed on the device before you can log in with your Google/Microsoft account. This is because the GoodNotes Beta App runs on the Chrome browser, so there is this requirement. (Windows Beta version requires Microsoft Egde to run)
GoodNotes running on Boox Tab Ulra C (right) and Bigme InkNote Color (left).
The GoodNotes Android Beta version only has basic note-taking functions for the time being. When the user opens the document/notebook, there are three options for writing: fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and paintbrush, and there is also a highlighter to draw lines. There is also an automatic shape correction function. When the user draws a circle, triangle and other shapes with a pen, the note will automatically correct it for you, which is quite convenient. There are 21 templates in the app for users to choose from. In addition to creating notebooks and quick notes, users can also import PDFs for annotation.
At this stage, this Beta version lacks the advanced features in the iOS version of GoodNotes, such as handwriting recognition, etc. In addition, users can only create up to 10 notebooks. It is officially marked that this version and the iOS version are two separate apps, and the archives of the two cannot be synchronized. However, users of the iOS version can use the "Share with Link to Collaborate" function to share notes with the Beta version device and then edit them.
The owner, Chen Chen, also tried to install and run the beta version on an Android phone, and he could see the notes created on the Tab Ultra C, but he could only view them on the phone, not edit them.
The official announcement shows that after the Beta test, all notes and files in the account will continue to exist, and users can continue to view, edit and share. So if you see the end of the article and want to try this highly acclaimed note-taking app for free on Android devices (especially on readers), you might as well act! (It is estimated that after the official version is launched, there is a chance to pay for it like the iOS version)