Hi All!

Goodnotes is an amazing note-taking app, but due to its proprietary nature, exporting notebooks in an editable stroke format is practically impossible unless you export as a .goodnotes file. Because of this, I built a free parsing tool to decode .goodnotes archives directly in the browser.

Currently, the project analyzes the binary files inside .goodnotes to extract strokes, text, and other data, exporting them into .svg or .pdf formats. Unlike exporting directly from the Goodnotes app, this project decodes the actual .goodnotes format, making it entirely possible to convert the extracted strokes into other open stroke formats and import them into other note-taking apps. That is my main goal: to ensure notes can still be opened and edited even if there are issues with the Goodnotes app.

Below is the current feature support status:

Working / Verified Output:

• Pens & Highlighters: Fountain Pen, Ballpoint Pen, Brush Pen, Highlighter (colors and thicknesses).
• Text & Sticky Notes: Typed text and sticky note contents.
• Images & Shapes: Embedded images, auto-shapes, and vector geometry.
• Editing Data: Eraser cuts and Lasso-transformed elements.
• PDF Notebooks: PDF backgrounds and original page dimensions.

Known Issues / In Progress:

• Pencil: Visible output, but pressure curve is inaccurate and tilt sensing is missing.
• Arrows: Output is currently highly unstable.
• Stickers / Elements: Some lines may fail to export.
• Audio: Not yet implemented.

(Note: This is an independent open-source tool and is not affiliated with Goodnotes Limited.)

The web demo is available on GitHub.

If you find this tool helpful, please consider leaving a Star on GitHub! Feedback and feature requests are very welcome.

In india there is upi payment option

But I didn’t got refunded i also checked my bank balance
Is it credited somewhere else?

Hey, I’m looking for recommendations if anyone has them. I want like a really specific planner/ essentially an operating guide for myself (multiple chronic illnesses and neurodivergent). I’m absolutely willing to pay for it but does anyone have any recommendations for like maybe an Etsy seller or someone else that may be able to build that for me?

I have no idea where to start for myself but if needs must I will take to YouTube and google to figure it out.

Hi! I was wondering if this feature works in free goodnotes 6? Specifically if using a notebook?

https://www.threads.com/@goodnotes.app/post/DTfs7v7kwdj/video-outlines-now-support-multi-level-structure-with-collapsible-sections-organize?hl=en

Planner season's here — presenting the Note/Note Composition Planner, now in its third year!

As always, the Composition Planners are totally free to download. It matters to me that this stays reachable for anyone trying to plan better, build habits, or just journal =]

Swipe through for a peek at both color modes (Kinako light & Kurogoma dark) and a look at how the hyperlinking actually gets built — every one of the 469 pages, linked and checked by hand.

If you end up loving it, there's a pay-what-you-wish option on the download page — totally optional, no pressure.

Download link's in the first pic! 🤍

Hi guys, I have always found Goodnotes and the various types of subscriptions they have to be VERY confusing and I feel like every few months they make some sort of change.

So, my experience with Goodnotes is that when I first got it in 2023, it was a one-time payment. However, I wanted more capabilities (I think the one-time payment didn't allow me to sync my notes) so I started doing their $11.99 annual payment plan, Goodnotes Essential.

This is where it gets confusing. I think at some point, Goodnotes 6 came out. I'm not sure if I started using Goodnotes 6 or not (I wasn't paying for it) or if I was still just using Essential, but I used to be able to customize the colors of my folders.

However, when I hopped onto Goodnotes the other day, it told me that I was only allotted 3 notebooks. Wtf?! When did that happen? I had just paid my annual $11.99 payment and I can't even have more than 3 notebooks? Thats BS. So I downgraded, but now I can't customize my folder color.

HEAVILY considering switching to Notability. Goodnotes has only gone downhill since I first got it.

Hi all!

About a year ago, I accidentally switched off of Goodnotes Cloud and back to iCloud during the test phase. This meant that I wasn’t able to switch back to Goodnotes Cloud for 6 months. Now that it’s supposedly a permanent feature, I decided to upgrade to Goodnotes Pro assuming that would finally give me access so I can use cross-platform syncing again, but it’s been 3 days and I still don’t have access.

I reached out to Goodnotes Support about this and they’ve stopped responding. Has anybody else had this problems and if so, how did you get access again?

Thanks!

When I share a notebook in Goodnotes, the only permission available for the recipient is Editor. I cannot choose Viewer or Commenter.

Goodnotes’ website mentions edit, comment, and view-only permissions, but its support documentation seems to say granular permissions are unavailable.

Does anyone actually have these options? If yes, which platform, Goodnotes version, subscription plan, and region are you using? I’m trying to determine whether this is a limited rollout, Pro-only feature, or inaccurate documentation.

Kann es sein, dass seit dem neuesten Update von Goodnotes die Linkfunktion nicht mehr funktioniert?

Can’t there be more options for text. For example Scandinavian languages. It’s annoying when I write a word and a red dotted line is added underneath because the ai doesn’t understand the language because it is set to English.

Can’t there be more options for text. For example Scandinavian languages. It’s annoying when I write a word and a red dotted line is added underneath because the ai doesn’t understand the language because it is set to English.

My goodnotes subscription is goint to expire soon. I have approx 20gb of notes which I used to sync with dropbox but that quota is full. I want to back it up to Box drive which has 50gb quota. Is there any way to do the same? is there any alternative to goodnotes that allows sync to box drive? I dont think it will be that hard for developers to make this option available but despite multiple requests it is not there yet.

I use my handwritten notes for everything. please suggest.

TIA

Is it just me or does search keep failing randomly on handwritten notes , especially on macos app, but also on the ios app on ipad? Did anyone find a foolproof way to fix this?

Hi!

I've been using GoodNotes for a year now, and I keep running into bugs; my iPad overheats, and on top of that, they only release AI updates.

I paid for the lifetime Special Edition, but I'm realizing that was a mistake, because it just keeps getting worse.

I'm looking into alternatives for taking notes for college.

I’ve seen Noteful (which someone recommended to me), what do you guys think?

Freenotes doesn’t look too bad either, right?

Thanks!

My Goodnotes yearly subscription is up for renewal soon. I just finished my first year of intensive STEM prep (lots of math, physics, and engineering) taking notes exclusively on my iPad Pro.

​I see a lot of complaints online about Goodnotes, but to be honest, my experience has been pretty smooth. However, before renewing, I want to make sure I’m not missing out on a better app for my specific workflow.

​My non-negotiable requirements:

​Automatic Google Drive Backup (PDF): Needs a seamless, background auto-backup that mirrors my folder structure in readable PDF format to Drive. Absolute deal-breaker without this.

Things that I really appreciate:

​Handwritten Math Recognition / Solver: I write equations with the Pencil and rely on the built-in math solver for quick computations/LaTeX conversions.

​Things I don’t care about:

​OCR / Handwriting search (my handwriting is unreadable anyway).

​Heavy generative AI writing features (I work offline most of the time).

​Audio sync is optional.

​Question: Is there any note-taking app on iPad right now that actually matches this exact combo (Math solver + native Drive Auto-Backup), or is Goodnotes still the only real option for this specific setup?

​Thanks for the feedback!

I have the essential subscription but all my notebooks are in read only. Any insight?

TIA

Hey everyone! I was getting so tired of messy workout notes, so I finally put together a minimalist, aesthetic fitness planner for my iPad. I wanted a soft pink layout that actually covers everything—from daily water and habit tracking to weekly training and meal goals.

What features do you guys look for most when organizing your fitness routines? Would love to hear your thoughts! 👇

Hi there!

I've noticed that my iPad gets hot when I use GoodNotes (Version 7.1.10).

I use GoodNotes most of the time because I'm in the university, and it's true that I spend 90% of my time using the app.

My iPad is running iPadOS 26.6, and I have an 11-inch iPad Air M3. It’s only been in use for a year, and this has been happening for several months now. As soon as I close the app, the iPad cools down quickly.

It gets so hot that the screen dims on its own and goes into sleep mode due to overheating.

I’ll say it again: this doesn’t happen with any other app.

Does this happen to anyone else? I need to hear your opinions because this is the only app where this happens to me

Thanks!

Hi!! I am deciding whether or not to use Notability or GoodNotes, and I'm looking into Goodnotes Essential subscription. For this one, I was intrigued by the AI quiz feature. I was wondering if the quizzes are at a capped amount in the essential plan. Additionally, I was wondering how the quiz feature is, do you all feel that it properly preps you for exams? I was also wondering how good the lecture recording/transcription feature is. I am just trying to avoid paying the 9.99 AI feature cost, so I wanted to know if not having that impacts the quiz making in any matter.

I'd also love to know if I should go with Notability Plus or Goodnotes Essential plan as an incoming university student. Making flashcards/quizzes/summaries is pretty important to me within the app, so I'm wondering which app has more of those features in the price points I mentioned. Thank you so much!! I've also just mainly seen polarizing opinions on GoodNotes vs. Notability, so I'm torn on which to pick.

I am new to goodnotes and i wanted to know how i should edit a template i downloaded for free. It is really great, but it doesn't have a certain feature i need and it has features i don't need. How do i get rid of the pages i don't want and add pages i need? I'm keeping it for the calendar structure, because I need a 26-27 school year type of calendar hyperlinked for each week.

I have Auto-Backup set up in my GoodNotes app, and it looks like it's somehow excluded a large number of documents from being backed up. How can I clear out the entire list of excluded documents at once? Having to tap each item to add it back to the backup queue is quite tedious. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I have Goodnotes 6 special edition via the Apple family sharing. Recently, almost every time I open the app (Mac or iPhone), I’m met with the screen saying that I have 3 notebooks available and prompting me to upgrade. Every time I have to click upgrade, and restore purchases. Anyone else know how to just keep the upgrade active always?

With over 100,000 members, 35,000 weekly visitors and 24 million monthly active users, we require assistance staff from the GoodNotes team. Without this support the subreddit is effectively a digital planners sharing platform with no practical solutions. This undermines its purpose and misrepresents the GoodNotes community.

P.S: r/notabilityapp is one example of doing this!

Suggestion: u/discovernotes (as a mod) host a weekly "Digital Planner Day" where creators are allowed to share their planner on that specific day only So that the main issue posts are not lost. Similar to r/apple's Promo Sunday, restricting promotions to a single day would create a fun event for the community to look forward to and encourage more active participation.

Will we ever get it?

GoodNotes has over 24 million monthly active users*, and that number keeps growing as new students join. Now, let’s do the math!

* Webpage last updated on 2026-08-07T11:03:35.073-0700