OneNote on my Microsoft Duo 2 has suddenly become read only

Question

Notebooks that I created and notebooks that have been shared with me for over a decade are both now read only - I cannot create new notes or edit existing pages. I did not make any changes to Android or OneNote recently, I am signed in with the correct account, I can edit the same notebooks on other devices. I know Microsoft has abandoned the Duo hardware but its own software should still work there!

Answer 1

Dear @Mary Branscombe,

Good day, and thank you for clearly explaining the issue you’re experiencing. I understand how frustrating this situation can be.

As a forum moderator, I genuinely wish I could directly access your account or delve into the backend systems to diagnose and fix this for you. However, our role here is limited to providing general guidance and solutions that can be applied by users. I’d also like to clarify that posting this issue in the Q&A forum does not itself report it to the OneNote product team. To submit feedback directly to the OneNote team, this must be done either within the app or through the Microsoft Feedback portal.

Based on what you’ve described, the issue affects both notebooks you own and notebooks shared with you, while the same notebooks remain fully editable on other devices. This strongly suggests an Android‑specific issue, which is commonly related to synchronization glitches, app cache corruption, permissions, or a recent OneNote update.

Given that the Surface Duo 2 is no longer receiving major Android updates, OneNote can occasionally exhibit unexpected behavior following backend changes on Microsoft’s side. The good news is that this issue is usually resolvable without any data loss.

Please try the following steps to see if they help:

1.Quick Checks

• Confirm you're signed in with the exact same Microsoft account that owns or has edit access to the notebooks (tap the account icon in OneNote).
• Force a full sync: Open OneNote > tap the three lines (menu) > Sync all notebooks or pull down to refresh.
• Restart your Duo 2 completely (power off and back on).

2.Clear OneNote App Cache & Data

This resets temporary files that can cause read-only mode without deleting your notes (they live in OneDrive).

1. Go to your phone's Settings > Apps (or Apps & notifications) > find OneNote.
2. Tap Storage & cache (or Storage).
3. Tap Clear cache first.
4. If that doesn't help, tap Clear data / Clear storage (this logs you out but won't delete cloud notes).
5. Open OneNote again, sign back in, and let it fully sync (this may take a few minutes - stay on Wi-Fi and in the Recent Notes view).

After syncing, check if you can now create/edit pages.

3.Additional steps if the issue continues

• Update OneNote: Go to Google Play Store > search OneNote > Update (even if it says up to date, try it).
• Sign out and back in: In OneNote > account icon > Sign out > restart app > sign in.
• Check storage & permissions: Make sure your Duo 2 has enough free space. Also, in phone Settings > Apps > OneNote > Permissions, ensure it has Storage and Internet access.
• Test in browser as workaround: Open onenote.com in Chrome/Edge on the Duo 2 and see if you can edit there (this confirms if it's app-specific).
• Free up space or try in landscape / single-screen mode on the Duo (the dual-screen setup sometimes causes rendering/sync quirks).

4.If nothing resolves the issue

• Uninstall and reinstall OneNote from the Play Store
• As a last resort, report it directly in the app: Menu > Settings > Help & feedback > Send feedback, and mention "Surface Duo 2, read-only on both personal and shared notebooks, editable elsewhere.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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