Post-It is a popular product from company called 3M. This is a colorful sticky paper (normally in 3 inch square size) which you can paste it anywhere with a note. It is common for people to write important notes and follow up topics on Post-It or any other sticking pieces of papers on monitor screen. Though this is a good habit, keeping sticky papers all over the screen and workspace will make your place congested. You can easily avoid this by using Sticky Notes app that allows you to write and place virtual notes on your computer screen. Whether you need to write something down for future reference or to remind yourself of tasks you need to do, managing Sticky Notes can be really helpful. In this article, we will guide you through how to use Sticky Notes app in Windows PC to improve your productivity.
Open Sticky Notes in Windows
Though not a new thing in Windows, Sticky Notes is one of the most underutilized Windows apps. Microsoft is also adding new features like image insertion in notes to boost its usage. To open Sticky Notes app, go to the Start menu, search for “sticky notes” in the search box and click the app from the result. Alternatively, you can directly type and find the app from Windows Search box in taskbar.
You can quickly access new note, notes list and app settings directly from the search result. For frequent usage of the app, select “Pin to Start” or “Pin to taskbar” option to keep the app icon visibly in Start menu or taskbar.
The app comes as default with your Windows installation. But, do not worry if you are not finding the app in your system. Go to Microsoft Store app and search for “sticky notes”. Find and install “Microsoft Sticky Notes” app which is the same coming with your Windows installation.
Note: In case if your app is corrupted or not working properly, uninstall it from your system and reinstall afresh from Microsoft Store.
Creating Your First Sticky Note
The app has two parts – Notes list and individual note section. The note list will show all your notes and note section is where you can add actual content.
- When you launch the app, it will open and show you the Notes list section. To add a new note, click the plus + sign on the top left corner and start type your note’s content. Sticky Notes also supports the cut/copy and paste function.
- If you had previous notes, the app will open the last accessed note when you launch. You can view the list of all your notes by clicking the three dots icon and select “Notes list” from the menu. Click the + sign on individual note to create a new note.
Working with Individual Note
You can create as many as notes you want and manage them from notes list section. Individual note can be customized or formatted using the following options:
- At the bottom of the note, you will find the formatting icons, which enable you to:
- Bold, add italics or underline the text.
- Cancel (Strike an item on your note).
- Add bullet points.
- Insert an image.
- Note that you can resize the note by placing the cursor at the edge of the note box and drag to either increase or reduce the size.
- You can personalize the notes further by adding a different background color. To do so, click the three dots menu on the upper-right corner of the note and select a color of your choice.
- To delete the note, click on the “Delete note” option and confirm the action by clicking “Delete” on the resulting prompt.
- By clicking the close “X” button, you will close the note but you can reopen the note whenever you need later.
Managing Notes List
Here you can search through the notes or delete a note by selecting the option from three dots icon against the note. As you can see, each note will show with its background color for easy identification.
Configure Sticky Notes Settings
One of the major improvements on the Sticky Notes app is the ability to sync your notes with your Microsoft account and “Insights” which make it possible to integrate notes with other Windows features and apps. In addition, you can opt to use light, dark or system color mode for Sticky Notes app.
How to Sync Your Notes to Cloud?
If you have a Microsoft account, you can sync your notes and access the Sticky Notes from multiple devices.
- Click the gear settings icon at the top right of the notes list and then the “Sign in” button on the resulting window.
- This gives you the option to sign in with your personal, work or school account. Select an account and click “Continue” at the bottom of the pop-up.
- Click the “Sync Now” button at the bottom of the settings windows to sync your notes.
- If you sign in on another Windows device, you will be able to access your notes from the cloud storage.
Using Sticky Notes with Outlook and OneNote
When you are logged in, you will see a small refresh icon rotating and showing a tick mark on note’s title bar as you type. This indicates the content is synchronized in cloud and can be accessed across your devices. All notes will be automatically synchronized and available in Outlook desktop app. You can find them in “Notes” section under your email address in Outlook app.
On iPhone, iPad and Android devices, the synchronized notes can be found under “Sticky Notes” section in OneNote app. You can also use OneNote web access to view your notes.
Using Enable Insights Option in Sticky Notes
- Under the “General” settings section, turn on the “Enable insights” switch.
- This will help to automatically convert website addresses in your notes to hyperlinks. You can click on a link and open it in a default browser app. Earlier, enabling insights was converting phone numbers, emails and addresses which has been removed in the latest Sticky Notes version. Now, the app will convert only website addresses in your notes.
Other Ways to Improve Sticky Notes Usage
There are two other ways to optimize the usage of Sticky Notes in Windows.
Keep a Sticky Note Always On Top
Though name of the app is Sticky Notes, it does not allow you to keep a note floating sticky on top of other app windows. It works default with Mac Stickies and Notes apps but not in Windows Sticky Notes app. You need another app like Microsoft PowerToys to keep a note on top.
- Go to Microsoft Store and install PowerToys app. This is an official app from Microsoft packed with bunch of features.
- Launch the app, navigate to “Always On Top” section from left sidebar.
- Turn on “Enable Always On Top” option.
- Default shortcut to activate the feature is “Windows + Control + T” which you can change if required. Scroll down and customize the colors and other options if needed.
- Now, open a sticky note which you want to float and press “Windows + Control + T” key shortcuts. The sticky note will be highlighted with a border and start floating on top of other apps.
- Press the same shortcut keys again to disable the sticky floating.
This is very useful for taking notes from a webpage or document. You can learn more about using always on top and picture in picture mode in Windows.
Create a Separate Desktop for Your Notes
If you are handling bulk notes, they may clutter your desktop making it disorganized. You can avoid this by creating a separate desktop to display your Sticky Notes. This makes it easy to organize and access your notes.
- Press the “Windows + Tab” keys on your keyboard to open the task view. Alternatively, hover on the task view icon in task bar (if you have enabled in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar item”.
- Click the “New Desktop” option to create a new virtual desktop where you can keep all your sticky notes.
- If you place your Sticky Notes on this new desktop, they will not show up on the other desktop so your primary desktop will remain organized.
Conclusion
Sticky Notes is one of the most useful tools available in Windows. It supports a wide range of options, making it possible to customize and manage your notes on the screen. Hope the above guide helped you to use and manage Sticky Notes in Windows to enhance your productivity.
