How to improve handwriting in one note

Question

Hello,

I am a frequent daily user of Microsoft OneNote on iPad, primarily for handwritten notes using Apple Pencil. Overall, I am very satisfied with the app, but I believe there is significant room for improvement—especially in Apple Pencil integration and general usability on iPad.

Key Feature Request – Apple Pencil Interaction:

Currently, OneNote supports only the double-tap gesture on Apple Pencil. I would strongly appreciate support for additional interactions—particularly the ability to trigger a tool palette or quick menu by pressing/squeezing the pencil (where supported). This would significantly speed up workflows by allowing quick access to pen tools, eraser, and selection without interrupting writing.

Is it possible?

Expand Apple Pencil gesture support beyond double-tap (e.g., press/squeeze actions where available)

Quick-access floating palette triggered by Pencil interaction

Faster switching between pen, eraser, and lasso tools

Improved handwriting responsiveness and reduced Key Feature Request – Apple Pencil Interaction:

Is it possible to,

Expand Apple Pencil gesture support beyond double-tap (e.g., press/squeeze actions where available)

Quick-access floating palette triggered by Pencil interaction

Faster switching between pen, eraser, and lasso tools .

Thank you for reply

Answer 1

Apple Pencil integration in OneNote for iPad is currently limited to the inking features and the supported gestures documented for the app. The available capabilities focus on choosing pens, colors, thickness, and erasing, but there is no documented support for custom Apple Pencil squeeze/press actions or configurable gesture-based palettes beyond what iPadOS and the Pencil hardware natively provide.

On iPad, the supported inking workflow in OneNote includes:

1. Selecting drawing mode and input type
   • On the Draw tab, use the Drawing Mode icon to choose how input is handled.
   • Turn on Draw with Touch to draw with a finger; otherwise, touch will pan the page.
   • Use Stylus Orientation to tell OneNote how the stylus is held so that palm input is ignored while writing.
2. Writing and switching tools
   • On the Draw tab, select a pen or highlighter, then write or draw with Apple Pencil.
   • Tap the same pen again to open the Ink Color Selector, where color and thickness can be adjusted.
   • To erase, tap the Eraser tool on the Draw tab and move the Pencil over strokes to remove them.
3. Improving handwriting feel
   • OneNote provides options (under advanced Pen settings on supported platforms) such as Use pen pressure sensitivity and inking gestures like scratch-out and draw and hold ink-to-shape to make handwriting and drawing more natural and efficient.

The feature set in the provided documentation does not include:

• Additional Apple Pencil gestures beyond what is already built into the app (such as double-tap behavior).
• A Pencil-triggered floating palette or custom press/squeeze actions.
• Dedicated gesture-based shortcuts for instant switching between pen, eraser, and lasso tools beyond manually tapping the tools on the Draw tab.

Because these capabilities are not documented, they are not currently available as configurable options in OneNote for iPad. For enhancements such as expanded Apple Pencil gesture support, a quick-access palette, or faster gesture-based tool switching, the supported path is to submit feedback directly from within OneNote or Microsoft 365 so that these requests can be considered for future updates.

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References:

• Select a drawing mode in OneNote for iPad or iPhone
• Handwrite, draw, and sketch in OneNote for iPad or iPhone
• OneNote Options (Advanced)