The New Sticky Notes App on Windows 11 Is Just What You Need

There are many note-taking apps on Windows, but the native Sticky Notes app has always been my go-to for jotting down thoughts on the fly. But while this productivity superstar has been the same for years, a Sticky Note update in mid-2024 changed the game.

What is the new Windows Sticky Notes app?

You’ve probably used the original Windows Sticky Notes app. It appeared for the first time in Windows XP Tablet Edition in 2002, and became the place to write notes, ideas, and so on. Over the years, it has gained more features, such as the ability to sync your notes to a OneNote account, but it has remained roughly the same since then. However, it is one of the latest productivity tools in Windows.

The new updated Sticky Notes has a better design, user interface, deeper integration with OneNote, and more features and formatting options that let you do more. It’s also easier to access with the Start menu as an entry point, but searching for “Sticky Notes” in the Start menu will show you both the new and old apps. You can too access your Sticky Notes on all your devices regardless of the version you are using.

Windows Sticky Notes Best New Features

One of my biggest complaints about the old Sticky Notes was the lack of a user interface. Every time you open it, the last note you worked on is popped up, requiring three extra clicks just to get to the list of notes.

Finally get a good UI

The new version, however, comes with a much better interface, which opens a list of notes by default. There is an option to attach this interface alongside any app you use.

Your most recent notes will appear at the top, or if you’re using an application that the note was associated with, that particular note will appear at the top instead. It’s a great way to quickly pick up work on something you’ve left behind without fiddling around. You can also search for a particular note – extremely useful when you have dozens of them in a list with no way to distinguish them.

The notes themselves are visually more attractive. Some additional features make them more useful, and the whole experience now feels much faster and more in line with Windows 11’s modern aesthetic than the old, clumsier interface.

Pin on top

In addition to the bold, italic, underlined and text formatting, bulleted lists and image support that the old version has, the new Sticky Notes mainly bring quality of life features that make it easier to work with the app.

For starters, you can now pin your Sticky Notes to the desktop, and they’ll remain visible regardless of your active Window. You can use Microsoft PowerToys or other third-party tools to pin your notes, but this feature should have arrived much earlier. After all, they are called Sticky Notes.

With the new version, you can just click the pin icon in the top bar of your note, and you’re good to go. The note will now remain visible and exactly where you left it on your screen, regardless of what you are doing on your PC.

Better Screenshot Management

While the old version allows you to paste an image into the note, newer versions handle images better. There is a dedicated Screenshots button in the new Sticky Notes UI that lets you take a screenshot of whatever program you’re using and copy it into a new note. This will also add the program or website as a source to the note.

You also have the option to open an image from within a note in a larger window, copy it, or copy the text into an image to quickly extract any data without having to sit down and write manually.

Notes now include the source of the data

Another neat feature is that new notes include the source of your data. For example, if you created a note when your browser was open, that note now considers the browser as its source.

It would be much more useful if it contained the actual link to the source of the information I wrote in my note, but it has always been useful at times, especially when leaking notes. Also, if you’ve captured a note or image from a website, you can click the source to open it quickly – as long as the app captures the source correctly.

Relevant Notes Automatically at the top

Notes associated with some programs automatically rise to the top of the list of notes when you open with the program in the background. If you create a note with your browser or Microsoft Office program open in the background, the notes will automatically be the first to appear. This is a great way to ensure that you can quickly find relevant information.

For example, for recurring meetings, you can take notes on the same page, and your past notes will automatically rise to the top when you open the new Sticky Notes app during the next instance of the meeting series. Another useful scenario is when you learn something from YouTube or a website and use the app to take notes. When I’m back on the same site, the relevant notes will automatically appear at the top.

Which one should you use?

You must use the latest version of Sticky Note. The old version is pretty close when it comes to functionality, and I’ve been using it for years. However, the ability to search for notes, automatic source tagging, better image management and a better overall design are great features that you won’t find in the old app.

Both versions of the app are available on Windows under the same name, except that newer versions are marked “(new)” to help users quickly identify the right version. While you can’t give up many features with the old version, the new one is a much better choice overall, because it gives you important features and options that make it one of the best native Windows features. However, there are also third party sticky notes options worth checking out.