[Sep 2025 Launch] New Toolbar Suggestions
Thread for feedback on the new toolbar.
Feel free to share any bugs or suggestions for improvement regarding the updated toolbar.
Hello! We’re excited to let you know that we’ve updated the Text tool and introduced a new dedicated floating menu for text boxes, including more customization options.
One of the new tools is Pin Text Tool — when enabled, it keeps the Text tool active so you can create multiple text boxes continuously without having to reselect it each time.
This is especially helpful when you're focused on adding or adjusting text in your notes. The pin will automatically turn off once you switch to another tool.
Feel free to try it out and let us know how it works for you!
This improvement is available in the latest Apple update.
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Maximilian Stark commented
While your initial suggestion is commendable, I have a query regarding the necessity of utilizing the pin function every time I select the textbox icon. In my opinion, it would be advantageous if the pin button retained the last usage. For instance, if one requires the Lasso tool or pen for note-taking, and subsequently returns to writing within the textbox, it would be more efficient to generate additional textboxes without repeatedly using the pin button.
I appreciate your prompt attention to these issues. -
Coralie Lundén commented
When using the text box the toolbar will still drop down to the text box instead of staying by the stationary toolbar, very very annoying. In the next update please let the textbox settings stay at the stationary toolbar, and add the previous textbox menu (with only some choices like delete and copy etc) to the end corner of the textbox. Also please remove the default switch to lasso, it’s just unnecessary and annoying. And when marking a text it would be much better if a small menu popped up close to the marked text like previously, so with copy, paste etc. And finally for the fonts, previously it was possible to easily access the different bold, thin and regular formats for a specific font, but now you have to first search for the font again and then go to the format choices, which takes much longer. I added screenshots with little comments to make it more understandable I hope, please read them! Btw start with the right pic furthest down then the left etc etc.
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Natalia Wisner commented
Somehow the new update made the toolbar even worse — now it is way more inconvenient to switch tools! Before you could access the lasso, pen, eraser, and highlighter all under the same section, meaning it only took one click to switch between any of them. Now with the updated toolbar, it takes extra clicks to switch back and forth between all of them. They also changed the pen sizes to require an extra click by having them all together instead of separate, so rather than easily switching sizes, you have to first click on it once and then you can select the size. The original layout was much more convenient and easy to use, and there should be the option to go back to that one. It takes so much more time now to switch between the tools, making it a pain.
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Jecca commented
You liars tricked me. I wasn't updating because I HATE how the floating toolbars take up more screen real estate and revert every single text box to a lasso so I have to click the text box over and over again.
I thought we got the old toolbar back because you said "Revert to the default layout: Restore the original setup anytime."
I've been a Goodnotes user for about 8 years and I am furious. LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS!
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Fabián Carrillo commented
I hate the way the floating toolbar and floating undo/redo controls take away document real estate. Please allow us to go back to how it was before!
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Ardeshir Aminian commented
You did not fix anything. You were supposed to bring back the favorite button. There is one thing for sure. Fire the new guy you hired.
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碧 commented
Please display the bookmark addition button permanently in the top-right corner so it can be accessed immediately from the left tabs.
Please revert to the previous UI.
It's hard to understand why the bookmark UI was hidden and the Tools tab made independent. Now we have to go out of our way to add bookmarks from the left tabs, and then open another tab just to review them. This is extremely inconvenient and frustrating.DeepLで翻訳しました (https://dee.pl/app)
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Cassy Thompson commented
I’ve been using this app for several years now and agree with every one else in asking for the old toolbar layout back. Please make the default whatever was last used. Why on earth is the tool reverting to “lasso” after I make a text box, this makes the app un-usable for me. I am constantly adding multiple text boxes.
Also a [bug] I had to restart the app because the keypad wouldn’t show up when I was trying to edit a previously created text box. Which every time I clicked off it we did the revert to lasso tool.
Please stop giving updates no one wanted. I would happily go back to the version we had before this app became a subscription.
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Lisa Wiedenmann commented
Oh PLESE wtf. I was so exited when I read that you could revert it to the default setup. Because I, like ALL of us, want the old toolbar from the last version back. Not this sh*t.
The shape tool still S*CKS and the toolbar is the worst thing that ever happened.
ALSO, it is very inconvenient that you can’t switch from pen to keyboard typing in the toolbar anymore.
Seriously, get your sh*t together and LISTEN to us.
I hope both sides of the pillow of whoever did this are warm.
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Matthew Wong commented
I got really excited when it said we could revert to the default layout bc i thought the toolbar would look like it did before this update... i was very disappointed. But at least we can customize it now, which is a basic feature that had no reason to be taken away in the first place !
Why can't we just have the option to revert back to the way things were before?? I don't know anyone who likes this new toolbar. Ik sunk cost fallacy but dang
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Razan Zheralden commented
What i loved (past tense) about good notes is that i saw all my color palette, why would you make it smaller if it will cover most of the row anyway?? I need it to be full again! If I wanted a tool box like your competitor i would have subscribed to them, if it works don’t fix it !
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Idontlikegoodnotes7 commented
I hope that whoever is involved in introducing this feature steps on lego
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Ava Welo commented
BRING THE OLD ONE BACK PLEASE. Why would we not even have the option to change it to a wider view?! I cannot be scrolling this much. This is the worst.
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Jeroen van Beckhoven commented
There also seems to be a bug with shapes. I have noticed it with circles, first of all the preview when still holding the pen is a zig-zag kind of shape instead of the circle itself, secondly when you try to adjust the width and height of the circle it snaps to certain lengths and when you quit adjusting it snaps back to a different shape. its kind of hard to explain but just try making a small circle thats wide/high
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Jeroen van Beckhoven commented
When using the zoom window the pen automatically switches to the eraser sometimes. It seems to be linked to automatically switching back to the pen after having used the eraser because when I select the eraser and then the pen manually is doesn't seem to randomly switch to the eraser while writing.
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08 Pachara commented
Please bring back old tool the new ui is eye catching difficult to use
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Federico Firoozi commented
When using the eraser deselect feature, it will deselect into the previously used tool (not necessarily a writing tool). I'm not sure if this is meant to be a feature, but I personally prefer it to deselect into the last-used *writing* tool.
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Federico Firoozi commented
[ISSUE] When the floating toolbar is on the left side, it covers the page counter. I suggest the page counter be moved down slightly to compensate for the new floating toolbar (instead of shrinking the floating toolbar).
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Taro Yamada commented
I see that a lot of people are complaining about the toolbar and shape tools.
I saw similar comments on X.
Are the goodnotes employees reading these comments?
You'll be fixed in the next update, right? I believe so. -
Rhys Clement-Evans commented
Please restore the default tool to be the pen, and not the lasso tool. When I enter any note 99.9% of the time want to write something, and that other 0.01% is never lassoing as the first option.