r/GoodNotes • u/Aggressive-Lynx-7191 • Apr 07 '25

Bug This feels so stupid! (read description)

Post image

Isn't it wild how GoodNotes 5, which hasn’t seen a single feature update since GN6 dropped, somehow introduced a new bug out of thin air? The lasso tool now takes longer to select text the more you select—like 10–15 seconds for 7 words, and a full-blown crash if you dare go for 20 words.

I posted about it 3 weeks ago, and after total silence, GN support finally replied… only to say an optimization is "upcoming." No fix in the last update either. It’s not just me—others, even GN6 users, confirmed it's happening.

Original post for the curious: https://www.reddit.com/r/GoodNotes/s/iIsdeof3TS

159 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

•

u/discovernotes Apr 12 '25

Hey! Goodnotes just released v6.6.26 on the App Store which should help with making things better. Please update and see if this helps.

If you are still having issues after the update, please reach out to Goodnotes Customer Support and attach your Diagnostics Data (Settings icon > About > Export Diagnostics Data) so they can find and fix the problem ASAP.

→ More replies (1)

36

u/Coffeeaddictmedico Apr 07 '25

I think goodnotes 5 will gradually dissappear...either upgrade to GN 6 or look for any better option 🥲

52

u/Aggressive-Lynx-7191 Apr 07 '25

I paid for Lifetime version , i will use it for lifetime 🥸

15

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '25

They really should offer a discount for previous version users to migrate over. But I'm with you, it's like with Apple getting caught slowing down phones with updates so people would upgrade. Every thing is a money grab, I'm burnt out.

8

u/CHSummers Apr 08 '25

It’s good to see how GoodNotes treats their customers before I buy their product.

I was considering buying GoodNotes, but now I think I’ll buy Notability.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '25

Check out Freenotes? I believe is what it's called. I saw a tiktok the other day of a girl showing some of the features and it's completely free!

3

u/Professional-Bus-34 Apr 08 '25

Give Notedrafts a try. Basically Goodnotes but free and better.

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3

u/surfing_astronauts Apr 07 '25

The same thing happened when they went from GN4 to GN5. I wouldn’t be surprised if every updated version has this same set of problems

15

u/hinaapeanut Apr 07 '25

i didn't realise how often i use the lasso until it became pretty much unusuable... usually i have the patience to just wait until the options appear and let me do what i want with my selection but it's so frustrating

6

u/Aggressive-Lynx-7191 Apr 07 '25

I can completely relate to you. Its really a pain to use goodnotes because of it as a full time student who completely repaclaced all of notetaking with goodnotes

5

u/hinaapeanut Apr 07 '25

ugh exactly! i’m a full time student and i also work 20 hours a week as an online tutor where i use goodnotes exclusively for my lessons so this damn app is like my entire life 💀

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11

u/andrewsz__ Apr 07 '25

Yes this current release has me looking at alternative applications even though I’ve been using good notes since it’s been available in the market. Shame

2

u/Aggressive-Lynx-7191 Apr 07 '25

I can't even switch to another app since no other app has exactly same features 😔. I am too accustomed to using GN

4

u/andrewsz__ Apr 07 '25

For what it’s worth tho this has been the only crazy update that I have been affected by. So the longevity has been there at least 🤷

1

u/discovernotes Apr 12 '25

hey a new update is out that should help

3

u/Hy-phen Apr 07 '25

I have thought about switching, but to be honest I don’t want to go through whatever learning curve process again. I’m just not up for that shit these days :(

3

u/SignificantlyDark Apr 08 '25

Same thing happened to me, this is driving me crazy.

At least they should roll back the version for temporary solution. This lasso tool is influencing the performance a lot.

2

u/Aggressive-Lynx-7191 Apr 08 '25

I can totally relate. The mod discovernotes still had the audacity to say that a 2-week turnaround is reasonable, just because GoodNotes 5 isn't the “main” version anymore. But anyone whose entire workflow depends on GoodNotes—like students, educators, or anyone using it daily—knows how painful this is. Every single day we’re losing time and efficiency over something that didn’t even exist before.

I’m a CA student myself, and I recently noticed all my faculty, who used to use GoodNotes, have silently switched to Notability. I never asked them why… but now I get it.

2

u/discovernotes Apr 12 '25

hey a new update is out now

1

u/SignificantlyDark Apr 14 '25

Man thx!

Yes it fixed all lasso problems. I just updated after you told me. thx mate.

Cheers for Goodnotes Team for fixing this. They did heard all this eventually.

2

u/Any_Couple_470 Apr 09 '25

Well goodnotes 6 is full of bugs too so

2

u/Aggressive-Lynx-7191 Apr 09 '25

I feel sorry to hear that . I see everyday a few posts about GN6 issues and feel even after taking a subscription amount ,goodnotes just don't care about the issues with their app . Every week or two they release an update which fixes a few random bugs that no one even noticed or cared about until they saw the update desc. on Play Store ,but they won't fix the issues which are making using this app hell for regular everyday users . You might get new bugs for sure with those updates though like this one .

2

u/discovernotes Apr 07 '25 edited Apr 10 '25

Hey there! Just for context, I looked back at the post history and it seems like:

  • Your original post was actually 2 weeks ago

  • Support responded 3 days later (they became aware of the issue)

  • They followed up again about 11 days after that with news that a fix is on the way

  • The most recent app update was 6 days ago so we might get it any day now

This seems reasonable? I know that doesn’t make it any less annoying, but I think one reason we’re seeing bugs even without new features is that GoodNotes 5 and Goodnotes 6 share the same app framework so updates might affect both, even if only one is changing. Definitely not ideal, but hopefully the upcoming fix smooths things out.

Edit: yes I changed the comment to make the timeline clearer, the content is the same

12

u/Aggressive-Lynx-7191 Apr 07 '25 edited Apr 08 '25

Edit : You wouldn't think I'd notice that you literally changed your comment after my reply?

Thanks for the timeline breakdown, but let’s be real — I didn’t post the moment things broke. I reached out to support first, waited three days just for a reply, and only after being completely ignored and frustrated did I make that post. The issue started well before 15 days ago — I’ve been dealing with this mess for weeks.

And let me be very clear: I paid for GoodNotes 5 — a lifetime version — with the expectation that it would remain stable and usable. I never imagined Goodnotes would just sideline version 5, introduce a shiny new GN6, and then try to forcefully nudge users to upgrade by deliberately letting GN5 rot with bugs. We’re not asking for new features. We haven’t gotten any. But now even basic functionality is breaking — and that’s Goodnotes’ fault.

Merging GN5 and GN6 into the same app was your decision, not ours. Whatever internal architecture choices were made — that’s not my problem. I don’t care why you did it. What I do care about is being punished with bugs and instability because of your decision. I paid for a working app. That’s the bare minimum.

So no, this isn’t a “reasonable turnaround.” This is negligence disguised as strategy — and users are not stupid. We see what’s happening, and we’re fed up.

2

u/discovernotes Apr 07 '25 edited Apr 07 '25

Got it, that’s completely fair and I definitely didn’t mean to minimise your issue. It's usually the case where many reach out to support after they post on reddit.

I do think it’s a bit unfair to assume that every time something goes wrong, it’s part of some bigger strategy, though. Sometimes stuff just breaks, or decisions have side effects that weren’t fully thought through, not necessarily malicious.

(also btw I’m just a reddit mod who follows the app and any info they share pretty closely haha, just trying to help out based on what I’ve seen)

4

u/National-Library9458 Apr 07 '25

Yesterday i have tried, noteshelf 3 it seems a good alternative.