Goodnotes for beginners
Updated January 27, 2026
Goodnotes has pushed a lot of updates in the past several months. While I like some of them, such as the customizable toolbar and the fact that hyperlinks now work in both modes, there are others that I’m disappointed in. For instance, the heavy push for AI tools has shifted what was once a one-time fee every time there was an update, into a subscription service.
If you already own Goodnotes 5 or 6, the company currently lets you stick with your existing plan, which is appreciated, but I’m not sure how long that will last. If you're new to Goodnotes, welcome! Goodnotes offers an array of tools to customize your planners and journals, including various pens, shapes, tape, and images. In this tutorial, I’ll break down all these features as of January 2026.
Personal Favorites:
Arrange: You can arrange elements/ text in front/ behind another. This is a feature that most people are common with in Canva and was a nice addition in Goodnotes 6 to have. In the past when I wanted a sticker to be behind or in front another to add more depth, I couldn’t. Which often resulted in me re-doing my spread.
Eye - dropper color match: Bringing in a common features in graphic design programs, this eye-dropper tool allows color matching in the digital planning world. No longer will we have to know the hex code of the color like we did in Goodnotes 5.
Goodnotes toolbar:
Tips:
These are some of the functions I use the most in Goodnotes.
Watch video Tutorial:
Save to find later:
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