11. Using OneNote on Your Mobile Phone

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The basics of using OneNote Mobile on your cell phone are described in this chapter.

11 Using OneNote on Your Mobile Phone

In Chapter 9, “Sharing Notes with Other People,” you learned about the benefits of sharing notebooks—either with yourself across the different computers you may be using, or with other people for the purpose of truly collaborating on a project together. I also briefly introduced you to the free OneNote Web App, which lets you view and even edit your shared OneNote notebooks in a web browser.

If you purchased a smartphone in recent months, you have an additional option for using OneNote on the go, especially when you don’t have access to a computer or you don’t want to lug a laptop around with you. It’s called OneNote Mobile (see Figure 11.1), and it’s currently available on Windows Phone 7 and on the iPhone.

Figure 11.1 The OneNote Mobile app offers yet another choice for managing all of the information in your busy life on the go. OneNote Mobile is currently available for your Windows Phone 7 smartphone or your iPhone.

Attempting to document something like an ever-changing mobile phone app in a book might seem counterproductive, considering that the development and release cycles of such apps are dramatically faster than that of the full-featured desktop apps in Microsoft Office. Indeed, by the time you read this chapter, the features in the two flavors of OneNote Mobile are likely to have evolved and improved. Nevertheless, I wanted to briefly cover basic OneNote Mobile functionality in this overview to give you an understanding of how the various flavors of OneNote may suit your needs and fit into your life. You can learn more about OneNote Mobile on Windows Phone 7 at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone, and more information about OneNote Mobile for iPhone is available by searching for Microsoft OneNote in the iTunes AppStore at http://www.itunes.com.

OneNote Mobile on Windows Phone 7

Not surprisingly, probably the best way to experience any Microsoft Office mobile app is on Microsoft’s own smartphone platform, called Windows Phone 7. Although the individual devices that support this operating system vary with different North American cell phone providers, the complete version of Office Mobile—including OneNote Mobile—is included for free on all Windows Phone 7 devices.

The following procedures outline the basic tasks for getting started with this version of OneNote Mobile.

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Starting OneNote Mobile on Windows Phone 7

On your Windows Phone 7 device, do the following:

1. Near the upper right on your phone’s Start screen, click the circled arrow pointing to the right. Alternately, you can swipe your finger across the screen from the right side to the left.

2. In the list of installed apps that appears, swipe your finger upward to scroll down to the app named Office.

3. With your finger, tap the Office app. The Microsoft Office hub appears, giving you access to OneNote Mobile, Excel Mobile, Word Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile.

You might notice that the Office hub displays OneNote right on its home screen. This allows fast access to all of your notes, making capturing and accessing your information on the go less cumbersome.

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Exploring the OneNote Mobile Guide

The square, orange tiles on the Office home screen represent individual notes that you’ve created or opened in OneNote Mobile. To open a note, tap its orange tile.

If you don’t have any of your own notes there yet, take a moment to read the short OneNote Mobile Guide, which is included as a OneNote note. It briefly outlines the features that are available in OneNote Mobile on Windows Phone 7.

To explore the OneNote Mobile Guide, do the following:

1. On the Office Mobile home screen, tap the orange tile labeled “Explore OneNote.” This is how you open any of your OneNote Mobile notes for viewing or editing.

2. When the note opens, read the information provided. Swipe your finger upward across the screen to scroll down and display the rest of the page.

3. To return to the Office Mobile hub, tap the Back button at the bottom of your phone or device.

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Creating a New Note

To create your first note in OneNote Mobile on your Windows Phone 7, follow these steps:

1. On the Office home screen, under the OneNote app heading, tap the New Note button (see Figure 11.2).

Figure 11.2 Tapping the New Note button on the home screen of the Office hub launches OneNote Mobile on Windows Phone 7. Each note you create will be shown as an orange tile on the home screen, giving you easy access to all of your mobile notes.

2. When the note opens and the onscreen keyboard appears, tap the words Enter title at the top of the screen.

3. Type a page title to describe the note. This page title will appear on the note’s orange tile on the home screen and it will also be used as the page title when you view the note in the OneNote Web App or in the full version of OneNote 2010 on your computer.

4. Tap below the line that appears under the page title and then use the onscreen keyboard to type notes.

As with the full version of OneNote 2010, you don’t need to explicitly save your work when you’re done taking notes in OneNote Mobile. It will save your notes as soon as you’ve written them, which means you can tap the Back button or the Start (Windows logo) button at the bottom of your phone or device at any time to quit your session of OneNote Mobile. The next time you return to the Office hub, you’ll see your note on the OneNote home page.

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Correcting Text in a Note

If you’re using any Microsoft Office program on your computer, you’re already familiar with the convenient spell-checking feature, which underlines potentially misspelled or unknown words with a red squiggly line. In OneNote Mobile, this feature works, too. Given that the onscreen keyboards on cell phones are much more error-prone than using a real, physical keyboard, this is a welcome and useful feature, allowing you to make corrections easily, especially if you’ll be sharing your mobile notes with others.

To check spelling in a mobile note, do the following:

1. Open or create a new note.

2. Look for text that is underlined with a red, squiggly line.

3. Tap the questionable word once with your finger to select it and then inspect the word list that’s displayed just above the onscreen keyboard.

4. To substitute a misspelled word with a word that appears in the list, tap to select the correct word. To substitute a misspelled word with a new word that doesn’t appear in the word list, type the correct word.

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Formatting Text in a Note

Excluding the page title, OneNote Mobile on Windows Phone 7 supports basic text formatting that you might already be used to from any of the programs in the full version of Microsoft Office on your computer.

You can format any part of your notes text in any of the following styles:

• Bold text

• Italic text

• Underline text

• Strikethrough text

• Yellow highlighted text

To apply text formatting to any part of your notes, do the following:

1. Open or create a note whose text you want to format.

2. Tap the text you want to format to select it. If you want to extend the selection, tap and hold either of the two small arrows that appear underneath the selection highlight and then drag them to include all of the text you want to format. If you make a mistake, either start over or format the remaining text separately.

3. At the bottom of the screen, to the right of the round command icons, tap the More (...) icon to display the action menu.

4. At the bottom of the menu that appears, tap Format.

5. In the Format menu, tap the formatting style you want. Because the text will stay selected, you can easily apply any additional formatting style to the selected word or paragraph. To do so, repeat steps 3–5 in this procedure to apply the additional formatting.

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Creating Lists in a Note

Besides text formatting, you can format lines or paragraphs of text in your note as lists. OneNote Mobile supports numbered lists and bulleted lists. You can also use text indentation for creating a basic text outline without any list formatting or to create additional levels of detail in a numbered or bulleted list. No matter which format you choose, list formatting can be applied to any blank line in your note or to a selection of existing text.

Numbered lists are best for showing items in sequential order (for example, the steps in a list of driving directions). To start a numbered list, do the following:

1. Open or create a note.

2. Place the cursor on a new, blank line, and then tap the round Numbered List command icon at the lower left of the screen.

3. When 1. appears as the start of the list, type the first list item by using the onscreen keyboard.

4. Tap the Enter key (the L-shaped arrow on the lower right of the onscreen keyboard) to continue the list with the next item. To end the list, tap the Enter key twice.

To format existing text as a numbered list, do the following:

1. In your note, tap the line of text that should become the first item in a numbered list.

2. Tap the round Numbered List command icon at the lower left of the screen.

3. Tap to select any additional lines of text underneath the current line and then repeat step 2.

Bulleted lists are best for showing items that belong together but don’t require a logical order (for example, a shopping list). To start a bulleted list, do the following:

1. Open or create a note.

2. Place the cursor on a new, blank line.

3. At the bottom of the screen, to the right of the round command icons, tap the More (...) icon to display the action menu.

4. On the menu that appears, tap Bulleted List.

5. When the first bullet symbol appears, type the first list item by using the onscreen keyboard.

6. Tap the Enter key (the L-shaped arrow on the lower right of the onscreen keyboard) to continue the list with the next item. To end the list, tap the Enter key twice.

To format existing text as a bulleted list, do the following:

1. In your note, tap the line of text that should become the first item in a bulleted list.

2. At the bottom of the screen, to the right of the round command icons, tap the More (...) icon to display the action menu.

3. On the menu that appears, tap Bulleted List.

4. Tap to select any additional lines of text underneath the current line and then repeat steps 2–3.

To add one or more levels of detail to any list, you can increase the indentation of any list item. To do this, select the list item by tapping any of its text. Tap the More (...) icon at the bottom of the screen, and then tap Increase Indent on the action menu. You can do this multiple times, if needed. Indented numbered list items will change their numbering style the deeper you go, whereas bulleted items will stay with the same bullet style (additional bullet styles can be applied if you open the note in the full version of OneNote 2010 on your computer).

To demote any list item in level, you can use the Decrease Indent menu command on any selection, and you can repeat this command to return a list item back to its normal level.

Aside from controlling list levels, you can also use the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent commands to create unformatted lists in your notes. This can be useful when you want to create a basic outline structure in your notes to organize your thoughts and ideas.

If you want, you can easily switch back and forth between numbered and bulleted list styles by selecting the list text and then choosing the new style you want. Similarly, you can remove list formatting altogether by selecting the formatted list text and then applying the same list style that’s currently applied. This removes the selected list formatting.

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Adding a Picture to a Note

If you want to insert a picture into your notes, do the following:

1. In your note, tap to activate the cursor where you want the picture to be inserted.

2. At the bottom of the screen, tap the round Picture (+) icon.

3. From the Choose Picture screen that appears, do either of the following:

• To use an existing picture, tap any of your existing photo albums and then tap to select the picture you want to insert into your notes.

• To take a new picture, tap the round Camera icon at the bottom of the screen, take a new picture, and then tap Accept to insert it into your notes.

To delete a picture that you’ve inserted, tap outside and to the right of it and then tap the Backspace/Delete key on the onscreen keyboard.

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Adding an Audio Recording to Your Note

Inserting an audio recording into your notes is a great way to capture spoken information on the go when you can’t or don’t want to type. For example, you could record a spoken lecture in class or record an interview that you’re conducting as part of a research project.

To add an audio recording to your note, do the following:

1. In your note, tap to activate the cursor where you want the audio clip to be inserted.

2. At the bottom of the screen, tap the round Audio (microphone) icon.

3. Start speaking or recording.

4. When you’re done, tap the Stop button. OneNote inserts an audio clip icon in your notes. You can play the audio again by tapping this icon.

To delete an audio clip that you’ve inserted, tap to the right of it and then tap the Backspace/Delete key on the onscreen keyboard.

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Sending a Note in E-mail

To quickly send a snapshot of your note in e-mail, do the following:

1. On the Office home screen, tap the note you want to send.

2. At the bottom of the screen, tap the round Email icon.

3. Tap the name of the e-mail account you want to use.

4. Add one or more recipients to the To line and, if necessary, modify the Subject line and message body.

5. For additional options, tap the More (...) icon before sending the message.

6. When ready, tap the round Send icon.

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Synchronizing Your Notes with SkyDrive

When you first begin to use OneNote Mobile on your Windows Phone 7, it creates your notes on the phone.

To synchronize your default notebook on Windows Live SkyDrive (see Chapter 9 for more information) for the first time, do the following:

1. On the Office home screen, tap All (see Figure 11.3).

Figure 11.3 The All button provides access to all of your mobile notes, including notes that might not be listed as orange tiles on the Office home screen. This command also provides access to the option of synchronizing your notes with Windows Live SkyDrive.

2. At the bottom of the screen, tap the round Refresh icon.

3. When the Sync with SkyDrive? prompt appears, tap Yes.

4. Watch the very top of your screen for status messages. When OneNote has finished signing in and synchronizing your account, a personal notebook named “Personal (Web)” will be created in your My Documents folder on SkyDrive. Notes you create or edit here will be automatically synchronized with SkyDrive.

To view the contents of your “Personal (Web)” notebook on SkyDrive, tap All on the Office home screen and then, at the top of the screen, tap Notebooks.

To open any page in your “Personal (Web)” notebook, tap the notebook in the Notebooks list and then tap the page you want to open. Any changes you make to the page will be automatically synchronized with your SkyDrive account.

You should never rename or delete the “Personal (Web)” notebook or the Unfiled Notes section within it while a sync relationship between your Windows Phone 7 and SkyDrive exists. Doing so may result in the loss of some of your notes.

If you want to open a different OneNote notebook that you’ve stored on SkyDrive, do the following:

1. On your Windows Phone 7 device, tap the Internet Explorer icon on your phone’s Home screen.

2. At the bottom of the screen, tap the More (...) icon and then tap Settings.

3. On the Settings page, under Website Preference, make sure the Mobile Version option is selected (tap it, if necessary).

4. Tap the Back button at the bottom of your phone or device to return to the previous screen.

5. Tap the Address bar in Internet Explorer, type http://office.live.com, and then tap the Go button (the right-facing arrow on the onscreen keyboard).

6. On the Windows Live sign-in screen, enter your Windows Live ID and password and then tap Sign In.

7. In your folder list, tap the folder containing the notebook you want to open and then tap the name of the notebook.

8. When the notebook properties are displayed, tap the big OneNote icon to open the notebook and then tap any page to view or edit its notes.

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Searching Your Notes

OneNote’s wonderful Instant Search feature that you’ve likely come to appreciate in the full version of OneNote 2010 is also available on Windows Phone 7.

To find specific text in any of your notes pages, do the following:

1. On the Office home screen, tap All (see Figure 11.3).

2. While in the Pages list, tap the Search button at the bottom of your phone or device.

3. In the Search box that appears at the top of the page, type a word or phrase for which to search your notes.

4. Tap any of the pages that appear in the results list to go to the note containing the occurrence.

To cancel searching without going to a note, tap the Back button at the bottom of your phone or device.

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Deleting Notes

To erase notes you no longer need, do the following:

1. On the Office home screen, tap All (see Figure 11.3).

2. In the Pages list, tap and hold the title of the page you want to delete.

3. When the pop-up menu appears, tap Delete.

4. When the confirmation prompt appears, tap Yes to delete the note.

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Checking for Updates

OneNote Mobile is part of Office Mobile, which is installed and updated as part of the Windows Phone 7 operating system.

To make sure you’re alerted of occasional software updates, do the following:

1. Near the upper right on your phone’s Start screen, click the circled arrow pointing to the right. Alternately, you can swipe your finger across the screen from the right side to the left.

2. In the list that appears, scroll down and then tap Settings.

3. On the Settings screen, scroll down and then tap Phone Update.

4. If necessary, tap the check boxes here to enable the update notification option.

5. Tap the Start (Windows logo) key at the bottom of your phone or device to save your settings.

If you’re notified of updates to your Windows Phone 7 operating system (which might or might not include functionality changes and updates for Office Mobile), connect your phone or device to the Windows Phone 7 software installed on your computer and follow the upgrade prompts.

This covers the basic features of OneNote Mobile on your Windows Phone 7. Mobile apps and platforms change continuously, so if the instructions in this chapter don’t exactly match the version you’re using by the time you read this chapter of the book, be sure to look online for the latest documentation for your version and device. As is the case with the OneNote Web App discussed in Chapter 9, the OneNote Mobile apps do not support all of the features that are available in the full version of OneNote 2010 on your computer, but they’re a great way to keep basic versions of your notes in sync, no matter where in the world you may find yourself.

OneNote Mobile on iPhone

OneNote Mobile for iPhone marks the first time Microsoft has released an Office 2010 application on another company’s mobile operating system. This is wonderful news for OneNote users because it’s just another example of how you can integrate OneNote into your life, even if you decide to adopt a mix of different technologies and devices to suit your lifestyle.

Though the features available in OneNote Mobile differ somewhat between the Windows Phone 7 and the iPhone versions, the basics of accessing and using your shared notebooks on SkyDrive are supported equally. However, whereas OneNote Mobile is already built in to Windows Phone 7 devices, you first must download it and install it on your iPhone. Depending on your region, there may also be an App Store fee for purchasing the app.

The following procedures aim to outline the basic tasks for downloading OneNote Mobile for iPhone and how to get started with the app after you have it installed. Please keep in mind that the features and design of this app have been rapidly changing, so if the information here does not precisely match the version of the app that you’re using, remember to search online for the latest documentation—either in the iTunes App Store or on Microsoft’s Office.com website.

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Downloading OneNote Mobile for iPhone

Before you can use OneNote Mobile for iPhone, you must download the app from Apple’s iTunes App Store and install it on your iPhone by doing the following:

1. On your iPhone, tap the App Store icon.

2. At the bottom of the screen, tap the Search icon.

3. Tap the Search box at the top of the screen, type Microsoft OneNote, and then tap Search.

4. In the results list, tap Microsoft OneNote.

5. On the details screen, tap the Price button and then tap Install.

At the time this book went to print, OneNote Mobile for iPhone was supported on any iPhone or iPod Touch running Apple iOS 4.2 or later. Because mobile apps are frequently updated, you should always carefully read the system requirements of any later versions of OneNote Mobile for iPhone.

Although the iPhone version of OneNote Mobile can be used on the iPad in compatibility mode, a native iPad app had not yet been developed when this book was released.

The following procedures and screenshots are based on OneNote Mobile for iPhone version 1.2, which was the current version when this book was released. If you’re using a newer version of OneNote on your iPhone, the basic steps should remain the same, but you might need to poke around the interface a bit more to find commands and interface elements that were moved, changed, or deprecated in the newer version.

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Starting OneNote Mobile for iPhone

You can run OneNote Mobile for iPhone as soon as it has finished installing. Do the following:

1. Tap the OneNote app icon when it appears on your iPhone.

2. When the title screen appears (see Figure 11.4), sign in using your Windows Live SkyDrive account (see Chapter 9 for more information). If you didn’t create one, you can tap Learn More on this screen to sign up. You must sign in before you can use OneNote Mobile on the iPhone.

Figure 11.4 Before you can use OneNote Mobile for iPhone, you must sign in with your Windows Live account so that the app knows with which SkyDrive notebooks you want to synchronize your notes.

3. When you’re signed in, OneNote creates a “Personal (Web)” mobile notebook. The Home screen that appears displays all of your available notes and notebooks that will be synchronized between your iPhone and your Windows Live SkyDrive account.

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