Evernote is a useful program for tracking information across multiple devices. This is a great way to quickly organize your life and ensure that you always have access to the information you need. Read the steps below to learn how to install and start using Evernote.
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Method 1 of 5: Installation
Step 1. Download the program
Visit the Evernote website at https://www.evernote.com and click the green button that says "Get Evernote – it's free."
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For most mobile devices, the Evernote app will be installed automatically; for computers, the installation program will be downloaded automatically.
If you need to download a different version, select the green text that says “Get Evernote for mobile, tablet, and other devices.” A list of every available version of Evernote will appear. Choose the version you need
Step 2. Install the program
If you downloaded Evernote to your personal computer, you will need to install it. Go to your download repository and double-click the green Evernote icon.
- Accept the license agreement. Read first if you want.
- Click the Install button to install the software.
Step 3. Repeat for all your devices
The main feature of Evernote is its ability to access information stored on any of your devices. For best results, you should install a copy of Evernote on every device you want to use the program with.
Step 4. Register an account
On your primary device or computer, open the installed Evernote program. You'll see a sidebar menu on the right called New to Evernote, which asks you to fill in some basic information to create an account. Fill in the fields and click the button to register.
If you are already registered, click "Already have an account" in the lower right corner and enter your information
Method 2 of 5: Getting Ready
Step 1. Create a new note
Evernote stores all kinds of information in a uniform type of container called a "note." You can create a new note by clicking the "New Note" button at the top right of the window. After you create a new note, you'll notice that it appears in the middle column in the form of an untitled note, above the welcome note that comes prepackaged with Evernote. The contents of the note will appear in the column to the right. This note consists of several different sections:
- At the top there is a column for entering a title; next to it is a drop-down menu that tells you what notebook is currently being used to save the note. (Notebooks will be covered in another step.)
- Below the heading column, there is clickable text that says “Click to set source URL….” This is used to record the origin of the note information you copy if you retrieve it from an online source.
- Next to the URL entry text, there is a field for entering tags (searchable keywords).
- Below the URL and tags area, there are a series of word processing controls for things like format, font (font), and text size.
- The bottom and foremost area of your notes is the entry field. Now, this column is still empty.
Step 2. Fill in your notes
Enter information into various columns to create useful information. Evernote will save and update the note automatically when you fill it out.
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Start by clicking in the column heading and giving your note a name. This is useful so that you can find them more easily, so it's a good habit to get into before you have hundreds of notes.
If you don't bother entering a title, Evernote will make the first part of your note text the title
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Jump into the tags field and tag your notes. Tags are another way to search for notes. This is usually related to the subject matter of the note.
- Unlike Twitter, you don't need to start your tag with the # symbol. Of course you can add the symbol if you want.
- Keep your tags short and relevant. For example, if you are doing geological research, you can mark all your research records with the word "geology".
- You can add as many tags as you like.
- Click in the entry field and enter some text. This is the content of your note. For now, just type a little bit about what you want to type.
Method 3 of 5: Using Tools and Features
Step 1. Add text or PDF document
Drag a plain-text or rich text document into your notes, and they will copy themselves into the notes.
- If you add a PDF file, it will appear in its own window with easy-to-see controls.
- You cannot add MS Word files if you are not using the paid version.
Step 2. Add the copied text
Highlight the text you want to add, then drag it into your notes. Very easy!
Adding a web address in this way will automatically turn it into a clickable link
Step 3. Add images
Drag the image file into your notes. This will appear as an image, which is resized to fit within the notes window.
- You can drag the image to rearrange.
- Animated images, such as-g.webp" />
Step 4. Add music files
Most common music file formats (such as WMA and MP3) will appear in a long box in your notes.
You can play music files directly from Evernote by clicking the Play button to the left of the box
Step 5. Add more files
In addition to the common files described above, Evernote will display the files you add as large, rectangular buttons. Try adding different types of files, such as saved web pages and WMV video clip files, to see what the buttons look like.
If you click the button, the file will be opened, using the program installed on the device. However, Evernote cannot open the file itself
Step 6. Delete an item
It's very useful to know how to delete files in your notes that you no longer want or need. There are two basic ways to do this:
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Right-click (or context-click) on an item such as an image or button and select "Cut" from the menu.
The item you cut can be re-pasted elsewhere, if you wish. Place the cursor and type Control-v to paste it
- Place the cursor right in front of the item you want to delete, and use the delete key to delete it.
Method 4 of 5: Organizing and Controlling Your Notes
Step 1. Make a list for your notes
Between the new note and the opening note that came with the program, you will have two notes displayed in the middle column in the program. Above this column is a drop-down menu and a text box.
- To set records containing various parameters, use the drop-down menu. You can organize them by tags, titles, and more. Do a little experimentation with the options.
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To search for notes, type some text into the text box. Evernote will quickly scan all your notes and display anything that contains the text you typed.
Even Evernote can detect text printed on images, although the results are not very good
Step 2. Place your notes in the new notebook
Notebook is a collection of records, organized according to the criteria you want. Notebooks are shown in the left column.
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Create a new notebook. Name your new notebook as you wish, and decide whether it is accessible from all of your devices, or only on this device. The new notebook will appear in the list. You cannot change its parameters after the notebook is created. There are two ways to do this:
- Right-click on the "Notebook" entry at the top and select "Create notebook…" from the menu.
- Press the Insert key on your keyboard.
- Drag your notes to the new notebook. To display it, click "All notebooks" or your original notebook in the left column. Drag the note from the center column at the top of your new notebook in the left column.
Step 3. Find your tag
In the left-hand column, below your notebook, there's a collapsible menu called "Tags." Click the menu to see all the tags you've added to all your notes so far.
Click a tag to display all records with that tag in the middle column
Step 4. Clean your notes
In the lower left column there is a trash can. Click the trash can to view the notes you've deleted.
- To restore a note that was accidentally deleted, click the note in the middle column, then click "Restore" at the top of the column on the right.
- To permanently delete a note, click the note in the middle column, then click "Erase" at the top of the right-hand column. You will be asked to confirm your decision before Evernote deletes the note.
Method 5 of 5: Using Other Notes
Step 1. Try another note
Evernote actually offers four different ways to take notes. Depending on your current device and situation, some methods may be more useful than others at different times.
Step 2. Write an ink note
Click the black triangle next to the "New note" button at the top right of the window and select "New ink note." You will see a blank, pale yellow note with blue outlines printed on the note.
Click and drag the cursor over the note to write. This is useful for devices that have a pen tablet or touch screen
Step 3. Dictation of audio notes
Click the black triangle next to the "New note" button at the top right of the window and select "New audio note." You'll see a sound level meter and a blue "Record" button.
- Click the button and speak to record an audio note that can be played back later.
- Make sure the sound meter moves slightly before you record. Otherwise, your device's microphone may not work properly.
Step 4. Capture video notes
Click the black triangle next to the "New note" button at the top right of the window and select "New video note." You will see a square window showing the video input.
- Click "Record" to record a webcam or phone camera record.
- Click "Take a snapshot" to record a still image for the record.
Step 5. Sync your notes
Once you have Evernote installed on two or more devices, you can easily sync your notes across all of them.
Click the "Sync" button at the top center of the window
Step 6. Sign in to Evernote on another device
Your notes from the first device will be displayed.
Once you've signed in to Evernote on a device, you usually won't log out again, even if you close the program. If you need to sign out for some reason (for example, if you share a computer with Evernote), click File and select the "Sign out" option before you close the program
Step 7. Keep learning
With the information above, you can use all the basic capabilities in Evernote; however, there are more features and shortcuts you can learn about if you want. Visit the official website for tutorials and blogs, or do an Internet search for other guides.
Tips
- While there's no way for Evernote to recognize MS Word files without paying for an account renewal, the same restrictions don't apply to OpenOffice.org files. OpenOffice.org is a great free office suite program that is similar to Word in many ways. This program can even save files in Word format. If you need to save a little money, install it and just use OpenOffice.org instead.
- The premium version of Evernote has a number of advantages besides full file compatibility. It also allows you to sync all your work, collaborate with others on its service, and upload a maximum of 500 Mb each month to the accounts you already sync with, unlike the free version which is limited to a maximum of 40 Mb.
