Windows 11 has a new Sticky Notes app, and you can try it now

Microsoft is building a new Sticky Notes apps that will be available through the OneNote app.

New Sticky Notes
New Sticky Notes / Image: Microsoft
  • The new app retains the familiar design with new visual elements and features.
  • Sticky Notes now includes a new option to take screenshots.
  • Also, the app will require the OneNote app, and it will replace the legacy version.

Microsoft is creating a new Sticky Notes app for Windows 11. The new app is available as a preview through the OneNote app, and you can pin it to the Taskbar. However, eventually, it’ll become a more integrated app that will replace the legacy version of Sticky Notes.

The new Sticky Notes retains the familiar look, but the company is modernizing the experience with new visuals and capabilities. For starters, the interface now offers an option to capture screenshots of the active window that you can embed in your notes with the timestamp and name of the application.

If you’re capturing a website, the screenshot will also include the source link you can use in the future.

You can always double-click the pop-open and see the sticky note in a larger window. It’s also possible to double-click the image to view its full size.

Sticky Notes UI 2024
Sticky Notes UI 2024 / Image: Microsoft

The stick note itself is virtually the same as the legacy version but with a few improvements. For instance, the menu also includes an option to take a screenshot instead of the option to add an image. At the top, the note adds a new minimize button. You still have the menu to change colors and delete the note, and on the right side, it removes the option to add a new note.

In addition, the app also includes a dock view to snap it alongside another app.

Once pinned to the Taskbar, you no longer have to open OneNote to access your sticky notes, but the app will be required to access the new experience on your computer.

If you have been using the legacy app to create notes and log in with your Microsoft account, your notes will sync automatically to the new experience. (If you have not signed it, it’s a good time to do so.)

In the past, Sticky Notes and OneNote were two different installations. However, now, Microsoft is unifying the experience, as we have seen with the Outlook app for Windows 11 and other apps.

If you want to try the new Sticky Notes, you have to enroll in the OneNote app in the Microsoft 365 Insider program to download the latest preview of the Office apps. This means that only users with a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription can test the early version of the new experience. However, once the feature is ready, it will be available to everyone, even without a subscription.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].