Microsoft mentioned Monday that one in every of Windows’ worst purposes, Sticky Notes, is receiving an improve that’s meant to assist make it function an annotation instrument of kinds for different purposes. It’s a distinct segment that Sticky Notes might survive in, although it might nonetheless use some further options.

There are many note-taking apps and companies out there: I’ve used Microsoft’s personal OneNote, for instance, for many years. But apps like Google Keep match the invoice as a easy, versatile app to jot reminders, lists, and different bits and items of data that I wish to refer again to, however largely overlook quickly after.

Sticky Notes’ newest replace addresses this similar “I need it until I don’t” utility: It’s basically a digital footnote, permitting you to seize a PowerPoint slide or an online web page and connect some digital notes to it.

Annoyingly, although, it doesn’t stand alone — a minimum of initially. Microsoft is testing this preview expertise as an addendum of kinds to OneNote. Once your PC receives it, you’ll see a small button with “Sticky Notes” on high of it. Clicking it should launch this new Sticky Notes preview. Fortunately, you may then pin the app to your Taskbar to keep away from doing this once more; should you don’t wish to see Sticky Notes dwell on the backside of your display screen, although, decrease the Win + Alt + S shortcut to launch it as a substitute.

Microsoft

The key function: computerized supply preservation. That’s a flowery approach of claiming that should you take a screenshot of an vital slide, that screenshot could be saved to Sticky Notes as a brand new Note, with an computerized hyperlink to the supply presentation or website. If you later open that slide or web site once more, your notes ought to pop to the highest, offered you will have Sticky Notes open. (Sticky Notes could be docked as a vertical column of notes in your desktop.)

I haven’t used the brand new Sticky Notes app but, but it surely all seems to be keyed to taking a screenshot: Without that connection, Sticky Notes received’t be capable to inform what web page you’re on. It will use that hyperlink, although, to hook up with the positioning or presentation (from inside Sticky Notes), or into Sticky Notes (from throughout the supply). Naturally, you’ll should be signed in to your Microsoft account to benefit from the full advantages of the app.

Microsoft

In common, Sticky Notes feels too ephemeral; if I wish to scrawl a fast word I generally use Notepad as a substitute. Otherwise, I drop it into Keep or OneNote. Sticky Notes has at all times simply felt there, with none actual function. The new replace helps give it one.

The new Sticky Notes app is accessible to Current Channel (Preview) customers working OneNote on Windows Version 2402 (Build 17328.20000) or later, Microsoft says.