Double-page viewing.
As a professional musician, GoodNotes is almost perfect for viewing and marking up sheet music both during rehearsals and performances! In my circle of friends and colleagues, GoodNotes is really becoming our go-to app! We unanimously agree that the only feature that is missing for viewing sheet music is the ability to view two pages at once (like an open book or in Mac's Preview "double-page viewing"). Is it possible that I'm just not seeing this feature?

We’re excited to announce that we have completed this feature. It is now available in the update GoodNotes 5.3 for iPadOS (13.1).
With the update, we added full support for iPadOS’ multiple windows. It lets you do much more than viewing two documents side by side. To read everything you need to know about opening multiple documents, please visit goodnotes.com/ipad-os.
How to open a new window:
You can now open GoodNotes in multiple windows to view two documents side by side, view two pages of the same document in Split View, or pair it with other apps in spaces across your entire system. To open a new window, drag any of the elements listed below to the side of your screen:
- the app icon from the dock
- documents from the library
- folders from the library
- individual pages from the document thumbnail view
- tabs from the tab-bar
You can also use the buttons in the library action menu or from the tab-bar to open a new window.
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Gabby H commented
I created a goodnotes account just for this LOL. I think you misunderstood. I would like the option to see my pages like an open book. The left side with the back of the previous page and the right side being the current front page. The split screen/multiple windows idea is great, but not exactly hitting the mark for this request.
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David Machado commented
I think the update with the ability to have two open windows works for some things, but for the OP question, I believe it failed to offer a solution. Is there a possibility to be able to open a document and read it like a book, where I would be able to see a page, and swipe to the next one and be able to see them both on the same window? Thank you!
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Jacob Pellegrino commented
Agreed with every other comment - that is not a satisfactory solution for the request and makes it incredibly difficult to play multi-page musical pieces where I need to see two pages at once. I love the app and an ability to change the view to something akin to an open book would make it so much better.
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Angela Garcia commented
The solution is missing the mark, I think everyone is pretty clear on what they are requesting here. I hope someone will revisit this please. It’s the only critically missing feature for academics and musicians alike in an otherwise perfect app.
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Matteo Bagattini commented
Will this ever be implemented in a propert way? I agree, multiple windows is not the same thing as double (or multiple) pages view.
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Nikhil Majeti commented
Please do this like in adobe acrobat. It will be very useful while studying the notes.
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Sonia Sharma commented
Yes, this feature is long time missing. So many times the developers have been informed. There should be an option to edit in book view. It would be so convenient for students like us to read and write the content like a book than a single page taking a whole lot of space on the screen.
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Michael Van Dusen commented
Just adding my voices to this, yes please, a proper two-up, "facing pages" option please!
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Alex commented
Please implement 2-page view for single PDF as described by multiple comments below. I would like to view 1 PDF file in 1 Goodnotes instance with 2 consecutive pages open side by side, e.g. to read a book in PDF format as I would do on my Mac with Adobe Reader or Preview. My sure to integrate an option to view cover page on seperate page, similar to Adobe Reader.
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Caitlin Person commented
As a teacher and musician, I have information on back to back pages of a pdf, and need to be able to have both open on screen at the same time. This is different than 2 separate windows side by side (while needed for other reasons, and happy to have this option, it is not the same thing). Please allow me to be in one window-> one pdf->able to have 2 pages (ex. page 33 and 34, then swipe right to left and we see pages 35 and 36...) showing, in landscape view, at the exact same time.
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Luca commented
Completely agree with the rest of the community. The Multi-window feature is useful and valid, but for a completely different use.
Please implement a double page (spread) view, to facilitate the viewing of more content from the same document.
Should also be a quick win, no? -
Rob Vel commented
Multiple windows is a better feature but that’s not what was requested. I’d still love to have two page view for one notebook one window on landscape mode…. Great app I don’t know why they don’t add this.
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Titti Potesta commented
As a musician, book view is a must, I can’t believe that after all this years and comments GoodNotes is still lacking this feature. Love the app, but just went back to PDF Expert because of this.
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Adrian Blair commented
this is what we wanted, it seems like a pretty basic feature sadly you completely missed what the user was requesting!
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Anonymous commented
I’d rather we don’t have the multi windows and just let us have the two page view please.
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Anonymous commented
GoodNotes is perfect and all but just it ruined everything without this function. THE MULTIPLE WINDOW IS NOT DOUBLE-PAGE VIEW! Please it’s been years now and I think I’m just switching to PDF expert instead I’m really disappointed.
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Yuri commented
Please do this! The two windows implemented right now feels just like a work-around, not a solution!
This feature will be also *super-awesome* in the MacOS version of the app, since the screen size on it is almost always bigger than any iPad's screen and also practically always in "landscape" mode.
I'm currently using a 34'' and usually I have to switch app whenever on my Mac because I cannot stand the fact that I can just read one page at a time with GoodNotes. It's quite annoying!
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Yuri commented
Please do this! The two windows implemented right now feels just like a work-around, not a solution!
This feature will be also *super-awesome* in the MacOS version of the app, since the screen size on it is almost always bigger than any iPad's screen and also practically always in "landscape" mode.
I'm currently using a 34'' and usually I have to switch app whenever on my Mac because I cannot stand the fact that I can just read one page at a time with GoodNotes. It's quite annoying!
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許耕偉 commented
Just realized it's been 7 years for Good note to not improve this.
All the comments are clear enough, can anyone from good note give us a valid reason of not doing the improvment? -
Jenna commented
Yes!! I use Goodnotes for sheet music and the ability to see two pages at once and not have to scroll four (!!!) times to achieve this is so necessary. Their “workaround” of having two instances of Goodnotes opens means each side would have to be scrolled twice, and if I’m playing piano or an instrument, I don’t have the time to scroll that many times before my next note is coming up.