[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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Jecca commented
Please make the tool bar take up less space on the page in general! The toolbar (not including these additions) takes up ~1/6th of the screen. I want space to read and write, not look at all the settings.
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Jessica H commented
I made an account just to complain. I hate the floating toolbar. Just make an option to dock it so everyone has an option for what they want. I’m literally downgrading to good notes five and then upgrading every day just to get my toolbar back….. also I love bookmarking. I use my good notes for all of my notes and so I bookmark areas that define a new chapter. Removal of these tools are making me regret using this app and I now have no reason to continue to support future updates. It might be time to change to another note service
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Riley England commented
I literally made an account to vote on this. Shapes tool is so difficult too. I've been an avid user of goodnotes for 6 years, but I'm seriously considering migrating if this doesn't get reverted. The old update was amazing. Just make it an option to downgrade
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Mehedi Hasan commented
The new toolbar has made the user experience so much inconvinient. Now I have to click 3-4 times to a simple task that was previously done with so much ease. Do not just update for the sake of update ,and ruin smooth user experience. Why change things that are already working. The new toolbar is the worst thing happened to GN. Fix it ASAP .
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Kristen Hartman
commented
Please allow users to customize the toolbar and/or put the writing tools back in the toolbar. The sub-bar for pen pencil eraser and highlighter adds an extra step to everything I need to access.
I also miss having the recent sticker elements show in the toolbar when that tool is selected. Now I have to scroll and spend more time on what was previously so easy.Thank you! I love good notes!
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Alexander Himmel commented
Please bring back the ability to focus the toolbar solely on writing tools, and get rid of all this AI garbage. I do not want, need, or care about AI tools in this app and would like to remove all AI-related buttons in favor of the writing tools I use CONTANTLY.
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AdminGoodnotes (Moderator, GoodNotes) commented
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We hear you, and we are working hard to continue building on what you love and make the necessary refinements and improvements in the toolbar.
Here’s a list of what we’re currently working on. Please take a look, and stay tuned for upcoming updates:
https://support.goodnotes.com/hc/en-us/articles/14029000789519-Goodnotes-Updates-Upcoming-ImprovementsIf there are any particular issues you’d like to flag, we’d love to hear about them — your input helps us improve.
We’ll let you know once these changes go live! 💙
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Ardeshir Aminian commented
Bring back the favorite button. You removed it a few years ago, and customers were furious back then. Why did you make the exact mistake again?
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Jude commented
So sad. So sad.
Ever since the update, Goodnotes has become so hard to use. I can’t create notes or creative materials with a clear mind anymore.
It’s heartbreaking — I used to use it every single day, and now I’m even afraid to open the app. Please, I just want it back the way it was.
Of course, I know that if I force myself to keep using it, I can still make the same kind of documents as before. But it used to be so smooth and effortless that now I get frustrated halfway through, and I quickly lose the motivation to work. That’s why I’m honestly scared to open Goodnotes anymore.
Hey Goodnotes team, you've created the great app. And I admit that there are some real improvements in the latest updates. (for example, we can draw shapes more easily than before) .
So it's far easier to listen to users than developing things you've achieved.
Please, please....
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Ray commented
I really dislike this update. I'm using an iPad mini and I like the small form factor. However, now I have to deal with a even smaller working area and specifically move my document to a certain position so the floating toolbar and undo/redo buttons don't block it in landscape mode. It's really ugly and messy and requires one extra step to change or hide it. Sometimes less is more!
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nnn commented
First of all, this update has made the app more difficult for students to use.
Many people use Goodnotes with a split screen — one side for the textbook and the other for notes. However, when the screen is divided, each side naturally becomes smaller. The new toolbar further reduces this limited workspace. Moreover, during class, the voice recording feature is often necessary, but enabling it makes the working area even smaller.In the end, when using Goodnotes in split-screen mode, it would be better if all tools were gathered in a single area, as shown in the photo. Since most users don’t use every tool frequently, unused tools could be tucked away in that space, and the new toolbar could be integrated there instead. Therefore, the previous version before the update was better.
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HT commented
I bet No one on the team clearly uses Goodnotes like real users. If they did, this kind of update would never have happened.
Since the update was forced on us, my creative motivation has dropped dramatically, and I feel disappointed every single day
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Dylan commented
Having thought about it, I’m not sure about continuing with Goodnotes. It seems that the most heavily requested features are ignored while the team focuses on changing existing features that were not problematic. OneNote seems to be the better option at least for the time being until the unusable new features (namely the tool bar) is reverted.
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Josh Kelley commented
THis update sucks...it has halted my entire workflow. Give us a real option to switch back. It won't let me go to goodnotes 5 becuase it willnot let you swithc to icloud. Pleas efix this.
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Adam Gontarz commented
Yeah, like why are we changing things that were perfect🙏
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imiganai commented
この意見に共感します。「図形描画」で描いたシェイプの線が戻るボタンで消せなくなり、投げ縄ツールを自動的に選択されることに不便さを感じています。オンオフができると嬉しいです。
テキストボックスも以前に比べて使いづらくなっています。なぜわざわざ使いづらくしたのか理解に苦しみます。以前のバージョンも選べるようにできませんか? -
Kristina Zimmermann commented
I hate the hovering toolbar. At least give the option of a hovering toolbar. Since the update "drawing shapes" is broken. When I try to delete one stroke, it deletes everything. and when I try to make a circle it only makes elipses. auto deselect eraser DOES NOT switch off, when the last tool was the lasso. it goes to the lasso yes, but if you go back to the pencil, it is still the eraser. I am actually considering switching to notability. this is not worth my money....
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Coralie Lundén commented
I agree, I almost only use textboxes for notes and it’s become very difficult to work with in the new update. I can no longer easily move the textbox around before typing in it, it has also become overly complicated to edit the font or anything else for that matter. It usually only takes a few hours to get used to new updates but this one has seriously affected the way I study and take notes. I would deeply appreciate if the old version was brought back, and for me it is critical for continuing using the app.
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Das Burbylein commented
Ich kann mich den Kommentaren nur anschließen. Es ist so umständlich geworden. Hoffentlich wird es schnell behoben, sonst werde ich wechseln. Das tue ich mir nicht lange an!
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Adam Hurst commented
With the previous version, I could use my left hand to switch between the pen and lasso tools while writing with my right hand. Now, they are on different menus with the lasso tool far away! Why completely change the UI when you could add important features? For one, make it so that when I duplicate writing, I can drag it onto a new page. You enabled this for the lasso tool, but not the duplicate tool. Bring back the old toolbar!!