Frequently Asked Questions
Video Tutorials (v2.3.6): Getting Started, Close-up Writing Mode, Text Input, Drawing and Shape Detection Tutorial, Note Organization and Recording.
Note: This section applies to the latest version v3.0.3, unless otherwise indicated.
GENERAL
Do you have a Quick Start guide to all the features?
Tap the question mark ( ? ) button just above the App Settings button at the bottom of the splitter bar. Here’s the printable Quick Start, courtesy of Laure, one of our beta testers.
How do I back up version 2 data *before* upgrading to v3?
Please use File Sharing (see http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4094) and save the NotesPlusPlus.sqlite file (your notes) and the Audio folder (your recordings) from Notes Plus Documents to your computer.
OK, then. How about restoring these old notebooks to my version 3 library?
Just add the NotesPlusPlus.sqlite file to Notes Plus Documents via File Sharing. Then exit the app from the background, relaunch the app and you’ll see your v2 data being converted to v3 data. Please allow time for this process to finish.
How do I enter closeup mode in version 3?
Just switch to the Pen tool on the toolbar and long-press anywhere on the page. We’ll bring back the button to activate closeup mode just like in version 2.
What styluses are recommended for use with Notes Plus?
Please look here for an answer.
How about these styluses: Adonit Jot Pro, ByZero Studio One Pen, iPen? Does Notes Plus support them?
You can already use the Adonit Jot Pro with Notes Plus to some extent. Our integration with the pen in the future will only make it more precise. As for the other two pens, we plan to support them in a future update as well (we’ve already had their SDKs).
How do I purchase and use handwriting recognition?
Our handwriting recognition engine is licensed from Vision Objects, the maker of MyScript Memo. This means you can install the app for free from the App Store to try out the accuracy of the engine before deciding on a purchase. Note that even if you already own the full version of MyScript Memo, you will still need to purchase this module in Notes Plus if you want to use the feature.
Here are the steps:
1) Exit Notes Plus from the background: from iPad Home screen, double-press the Home button to reveal the background dock, long-press Notes Plus icon until it wiggles, then tap the red minus (-).
2) Log out of your Apple account: go to iPad Settings > Store, tap on the Apple ID button and “Sign Out”.
3) Connect your iPad to Wi-Fi or 3G
4) Open Notes Plus
5) Select the Pen tool and write some text
6) Circle the text, tap on the “>” button and then “Convert to Text”
7) Tap on “Purchase” to confirm your purchase and follow the process, which includes entering your username/password that you used to purchase Notes Plus. Wait a while for the transaction to complete.
What HWR languages does Notes Plus support?
We support the same set of languages that MyScript Memo supports, namely: Arabic, Catalan, Chinese (Simp. & Trad.), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Can/ UK/ US), Finnish, French (Ca/ Fr), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Kazakh, Korean, Norwegian, Polish , Portuguese (Br/ Port), Romanian, Russian, Spanish (Mex/ Esp), Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese.
How do I edit the text converted from my handwriting?
Two-finger-tap on the textbox or switch to ABC mode on the toolbar and tap the textbox. You can also tap the Palette and change the current font settings of the textbox.
How do I redo an action?
Long-press on Undo to reveal the Redo button.
But Undo doesn’t seem to work with typed text. What’s wrong?
Undoing and redoing typed text is built into iOS. Tap the .?123 key on your keyboard to see the Undo key. Go on and tap on the #+= key to see the Redo key. Note that you can only undo the most recent change this way, for example, pasting text and undoing the pasting. We’ll see if this feature can be tied into Notes Plus.
How do I search my notes?
You can search for notebook/folder names, page titles and typed text (including converted text, even if it’s not visible). To do so, tap Tools (top left on the toolbar) > Browse Library. Swipe all the way down the list of notebooks/pages to reveal the Search box.
How do I jump to a notebook page?
Tap the page navigation field, which looks like “< (1/2) >” (meaning you’re editing 1 of 2 pages), then enter a page number to jump to.
How do I rotate an object?
To rotate a shape, textbox, or image, select it and do a two-finger rotation gesture on it. To rotate handwritten text, first turn it into a manipulable object by circling it, then tap “>”, then “Group”. Finally you can rotate it with a rotation gesture.
How do I import a PDF?
There are three ways:
1. Use File Sharing and add your PDFs to Notes Plus Documents. Close and re-open Notes Plus and they will appear in the root folder. Tap on a PDF to start annotating it. This is the most reliable method.
2. Long-press a PDF attachment in an email message and choose “Open In Notes Plus”
3. Load a PDF in another app (Safari / Dropbox / etc.), then “Open In Notes Plus”
Is it possible to view a PDF/notebook in the browser panel and take notes in the other?
Yes, it is. Just go to the browser panel, tap the Shelf icon in the top-right corner and tap a PDF/notebook. Then go to the note-taking panel and open a notebook you want to take notes in. Note that the browser panel is for viewing only.
Can I apply various styles to various words in a textbox?
Unfortunately, you can’t. Notes Plus doesn’t support inline formatting until a future update so you’ll need to use several textboxes and give each of them different formatting.
Can I print my notes?
AirPrint will be supported in v3.0.4. For now, please export your notes as PDFs (Tools > Export > Email > [choose a PDF option]) and print them from within another app. Sorry about the inconvenience.
I only type my notes. Is there a way to export them as text in the body of an email instead of a PDF/image?
No, there isn’t. But there will be an “Export as Text” option. Meanwhile, you can use iOS standard copy/paste command as follows: use the ABC tool and tap on the text (or use the T tool if you typed full page), tap again > Select All > Copy. Then go to another text field (e.g. your email), tap there and then Paste.
Can I use custom paper backgrounds? If so, where can I get some?
Currently custom backgrounds are not supported until a future update. That said, there’s a workaround: (1) Import a PDF paper template as a one-page notebook; (2) Make as many copies of the page as needed for your notebook; (3) Annotate on these pages.
By courtesy of policarpo, you can find a few PDF templates here.
You can also find more PDF templates from the Internet, like this site.
How does Dropbox work in version 3?
- If you add an item (i.e. a notebook / folder / PDF) in Notes Plus, the same item will be added to the NotesPlus/AutoBackup folder on Dropbox.
- If you delete an item in Notes Plus and if there exists the same item under NotesPlus/AutoBackup on Dropbox, it will be deleted.
- If you add a PDF under NotesPlus/AutoBackup, the file will be downloaded to Notes Plus library.
- If you delete an item under NotesPlus/AutoBackup, the same item will NOT be deleted from Notes Plus. Instead, Notes Plus will reupload the newly deleted item to Dropbox. If you delete and reinstall Notes Plus, you can have old data from Dropbox automatically downloaded to Notes Plus.
To start using it, turn on “Link to Dropbox”, tap Allow, and then turn on “Automatic Backup and Restore” in App Settings.
What if I just want to upload my notebook as a readable PDF onto Dropbox?
Just tap Tools (top-left wrench icon) > Export > To Dropbox, choose a PDF option.
How do I back up and restore data without using Dropbox?
Save the Notebooks and Recordings folders from Notes Plus Documents to your computer via File Sharing.
To restore data from the Notebooks folder: (1) Compress its contents in a .zip file (any name); (2) Add the file to Notes Plus Documents; (3) Exit the app from the background and relaunch it; (4) Wait while the app unzips the backup and loads it before you can see your old notes. The .zip file will be deleted from Notes Plus Documents when this process is done.
Notes Plus says it has exported my recordings to iTunes. Where are they, precisely?
Please save them from Notes Plus Documents to your computer via File Sharing.
Tip: you might want to rename them in Notes Plus so they are recognizable in the File Sharing section.
Cool! But how do I play these .caf files on my computer?
Please use QuickTime. We’ll consider using another format (like mp3) for easier playback in the future.
How do I best use the browser panel besides browsing the web?
Some ideas:
1. Open a notebook/PDF for viewing while taking notes in the note-taking panel. See an entry above.
2. Use an online calculator. Try opening this site in the browser panel: http://new.instacalc.com.
3. Open a clipart site and use an image there in your notes. Check out this great site for royalty-free images: http://openclipart.org.
4. Check email, Google Calendar, etc.
If you discover any other good uses, please let us know. Thanks in advance.
How do I share a notebook with other Notes Plus users?
Tap Tools > Export > Email > WebArchive – Entire notebook, then enter their email addresses. They will then long-press on the .webarchive attachment in the received email and choose “Open In Notes Plus” and then tap “Import” in the browser panel (the blue arrow) to import it into their library as a regular notebook.
Tip: you might want to share your notebook with the support team along with your issues for quicker support.
How do I migrate all my notes from an old iPad to a new one?
1. Connect your old iPad to iTunes. Via File Sharing, save the Notebooks and Recordings folder from Notes Plus Documents to your computer.
2. Compress the contents of Notebooks (saved above) in a .zip file (any name)
3. Connect your new iPad to iTunes. Add the zip file (in step 2) into Notes Plus Documents.
4. Launch Notes Plus in the new iPad. Wait while the app unzips the backup and loads it before you can see your old notes. The .zip file will be deleted from Notes Plus Documents when this process is done.
Apple doesn’t allowing adding folders to Notes Plus Documents so you’ll need another application called i-funbox (http://i-funbox.com) to migrate recordings. Download and launch the application, navigate to User Applications/Notes Plus/Documents, click “New Folder” and create a new folder named “Recordings”. Go into this folder and “Copy from PC” all the files from the Recordings folder that you saved in step 1.
Do you have plans to port the app to another OS like Android?
We do, but not in the near future, as we’re focusing on bug fixes and usability improvements on this iOS version. It’s never a good idea to migrate the same bugs and weaknesses to another platform, so we believe Android users will benefit a lot from this wait.
Do you have plans to support Evernote?
Yes we do, but it’s going to take a while. The reason is the same as above.
TROUBLESHOOTING
The app crashes frequently. What should I do?
Our Dropbox auto-backup might be the cause. If you’re using it, unlink from it in App Settings (tap the gear icon on the bottom left-hand corner, then turn off “Link to Dropbox”).
How come I can’t even launch the app? It flashes for a few seconds and then quits.
Please reset the app to its manufacturer settings by deleting the NAppProperties.plist file from Notes Plus Documents via File Sharing, then exit the app from the background and relaunch it. You won’t lose your notes by doing this.
My v2 notebooks have been converted to v3 data but all of them have today’s date as their creation dates. What’s wrong?
This bug has been fixed since v3.0.2. If you still keep your NotesPlusPlus.sqlite file from version 2, just update to the latest version from the App Store, then drop this file back into Notes Plus Documents via File Sharing and you’ll have correct creation dates on your old notes. We’re terribly sorry about this.
I can’t back up the Notebooks folder via File Sharing per the instructions. The error message was, “Notebooks” could not be copied because an error occurred. The required folder could not be found. What do I do?
Make sure none of your notebooks/folders have any spaces at the end of their names. Then try saving the Notebooks folder again via File Sharing.
How come some of my typed pages are blank?
Your blank pages might have previously contained a ‘<’ or ‘&’ character, which wiped out the whole text it was in on a page refresh. This serious bug was fixed in v3.0.2. Please get the latest update from the App Store. Terribly sorry about this.
Why does the screen jiggle when I’m trying to write with my stylus?
Your palm is probably being misunderstood as a four-finger swipe, thus activating iOS Multitasking Gestures. Apple doesn’t allow changing this setting by code, so you’ll need to turn it off in iPad Settings > General > Multitasking Gestures when using Notes Plus.
Why am I being asked to purchase the HWR module again when I have already done so?
Just go through the process again to complete it; you won’t be charged again (but make sure to use the same account previously used to purchase the module). This is an App Store process that applies to every app that has been uninstalled and reinstalled.
Why can’t I see the “Open In Notes Plus” option for a PDF although I’ve tried scrolling the list?
It might be an iOS limitation. If other apps already registered “Open In” with iOS before Notes Plus then there might be no more room for Notes Plus (and that’s usually the case, considering the popular PDF format). See if this article helps.
Why can’t I erase the handwriting after choosing “Show handwriting”?
It’s a bug. Sorry about this.
The “Ink Effect” option is grayed out in Pen Settings from the Palette. Is this normal?
We disabled this option on iPad 1 as this feature consumes memory. We hope to bring it back soon in a future update.
I’m left-handed but I don’t use the Palm Pad from the top. What do I do?
This version supports the left-handed “hooked” style only. We’ll support other styles soon. Sorry about the inconvenience.
I selected my handwriting and tapped “Convert to Text” but I got an empty textbox. Why?
First, check that you’re using the correct recognition language for your text. For example, the HWR engine can’t recognize French text if its current recognition language is English. Second, try resizing the textbox to make it bigger (drag on the corner handle). Also (while the textbox is selected), try tapping the Palette icon on the textbox and setting a smaller font size.
I imported a PDF into Notes Plus, now I see several blank pages in the PDF notebook, not to mention garbled text on some pages and pages with page number 0.
This usually happens when you navigate through the PDF pages that haven’t been fully loaded yet. After importing a PDF, you’ll see a spinning-wheel icon on the new PDF notebook in the library. It indicates the PDF is being imported. Please wait until this icon disappears before viewing the PDF notebook and you shouldn’t have blank pages or other weird things.
If all else fails, try importing a PDF via File Sharing by adding it to Notes Plus Documents.
OTHER
How do I know what Notes Plus version I’m using?
Look in the About tab in App Settings (accessed via the gear button on the bottom left-hand corner).
How do I take a screenshot of my iPad screen and send it to Support?
Press the Lock and Home buttons on your iPad simultaneously, then check in the Photos app and email it to us along with your question. Alternatively, you can upload it to a free image hosting service like PostImage.org and include the image link in your comment.
How do I report a bug?
You might want to look at the bug list first to see if it’s already known. If not, email support@notesplusapp.com, or comment on this site where comments are allowed. Please let us know the following information:
1. Your iPad generation: iPad 1, iPad 2, or the new iPad (3rd generation)
2. iOS version: look in iPad Settings > General > About
3. Notes Plus version
4. Steps to reproduce the bug
5. Screenshots if they help explain the bug
Feel free to give us suggestions to make the app better too.