GoodNotes Keyboard Shortcuts
GoodNotes and Notability solve a similar core problem but with different organizational philosophies — GoodNotes leans harder into a traditional notebook metaphor, with distinct notebooks, customizable paper templates, and a more document-centric structure than Notability's continuous note-stream approach. Its keyboard shortcut set, like Notability's, is comparatively light relative to a keyboard-first Mac application, since both apps' primary interaction model is Apple Pencil and touch on iPad rather than physical keyboard shortcuts. GoodNotes' Mac version does expose a more complete shortcut layer for users working primarily with a keyboard and trackpad rather than a stylus. Handwriting-to-text conversion, which runs selected pen strokes through on-device recognition and hands back an editable typed version, bridges GoodNotes' pen-first input model with situations where actual typed text is needed afterward, such as copying a handwritten note into an email or document. Because GoodNotes supports importing PDFs directly as annotatable notebook pages, it's commonly used for marking up textbooks, contracts, or printed forms alongside its native handwritten-notebook use case, and the same pen, highlighter, and text tools apply consistently whether working on an imported PDF or a blank native page.
Tool Switching
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switch to Pen tool | — | P (or tap pen icon) | Activates the Pen tool for handwritten notes, GoodNotes' primary input method, with adjustable pen types (fountain pen, ballpoint, brush) each simulating different ink behavior. |
| Switch to Highlighter tool | — | H (or tap highlighter icon) | Switches on the Highlighter for laying semi-transparent color over existing content, the tool of choice when marking up imported PDFs or textbook scans. |
| Switch to Eraser tool | — | E (or tap eraser icon) | Activates the Eraser tool, with stroke-eraser and area-eraser modes selectable in the tool's settings for either removing whole ink strokes at once or precisely erasing just a touched area. |
| Switch to Lasso/Selection tool | — | L (or tap lasso icon) | Activates the Lasso tool for selecting handwritten content to move, resize, copy, or delete as a group. |
| Insert text box | — | T (or tap text icon) | Inserts a typed text box onto the current page, usable alongside handwritten ink content on the same page. |
| Convert handwriting to typed text | — | Select strokes > Convert to Text | Transforms selected handwritten strokes into properly typed text, bridging GoodNotes' pen-first input model with situations needing actual typed text afterward, like copying a note into an email. |
| Undo last action | — | Cmd+Z | Reverses the most recent stroke, edit, or page action, functioning the same way it would in any Mac application, and can be pressed repeatedly to step back through several recent actions in sequence. |
| Redo last undone action | — | Cmd+Shift+Z | Reapplies an action that was just undone, the standard complement to undo, useful if you stepped back one too many times while reviewing recent edits. |
Notebook Navigation
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create new notebook | — | Cmd+N | Creates a new notebook, GoodNotes' top-level organizational container, with a selectable cover style and paper template applied at creation. |
| Search within notebook or across library | — | Cmd+F | Opens search, scoped either to the currently open notebook or across the entire library depending on where triggered from, including handwriting recognition search similar to competing note apps. |
| Return to notebook library view | — | Cmd+Shift+L (varies by version) | Exits the currently open notebook and returns to the library grid view showing all notebooks, folders, and documents. |
| Import a PDF as a notebook | — | File > Import | Brings an existing PDF straight into a new notebook as annotatable pages, which is how most people mark up a textbook chapter, a signed contract, or a printed form using the same pen and highlighter tools as any handwritten page. |
Page Management
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add new page | — | Cmd+Shift+N | Inserts a new blank page into the currently open notebook, using the same paper template as the notebook's existing pages by default. |
| Go to next page | — | Right Arrow, or swipe on iPad | Advances to the next page within the current notebook, standard sequential page navigation. |
| Delete current page | — | Via page thumbnail menu, no universal keyboard default | Removes the current page from the notebook, typically accessed by long-pressing or right-clicking the page's thumbnail in the page sidebar rather than a dedicated keyboard shortcut. |
| Duplicate current page | — | Via page thumbnail menu, no universal keyboard default | Makes a copy of the current page with everything on it carried over, handy for reusing a layout you have already built rather than recreating that same structure from a blank page each time. |
| Zoom in/out on current page | — | Cmd+Plus / Cmd+Minus | Adjusts the zoom level of the currently viewed page, useful for writing small, precise handwriting at a zoomed-in level or reviewing a full page's layout at a zoomed-out overview. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the practical organizational difference between GoodNotes and Notability?
GoodNotes leans into a traditional multi-notebook structure with distinct covers and customizable paper templates per notebook, closer to physically organizing separate paper notebooks for different subjects. Notability instead uses a continuous, more stream-like note organization within subjects and dividers, with less emphasis on a visual notebook-cover metaphor. Neither is objectively better organized, just built around different mental models of what 'organizing notes' should feel like.
Does GoodNotes' search work on handwritten content?
Yes — like its main competitor, GoodNotes includes handwriting recognition that runs in the background to make handwritten content searchable, not just typed text, though as with any handwriting-recognition search, accuracy depends significantly on how legible your specific handwriting is to the recognition engine.
Why do page-management actions like Delete Page lack a keyboard shortcut?
GoodNotes, like most iPad-first note apps, was designed primarily around touch and Apple Pencil interaction, with page management specifically expected to happen via the page thumbnail sidebar's tap/long-press/right-click context menu rather than keyboard shortcuts — a reflection of the app's touch-first origins even in its Mac version, where keyboard shortcut coverage remains comparatively less complete than a keyboard-native Mac application.
Can I convert my handwritten notes into typed text?
Yes, selecting handwritten strokes and choosing Convert to Text transforms them into properly typed text, which is useful for situations needing actual typed content afterward, such as pasting a handwritten note into an email or a formatted document.
Is GoodNotes only for handwritten notes, or can I annotate existing PDF documents too?
Yes, PDFs can be imported directly as annotatable notebooks, letting you mark up textbooks, contracts, or printed forms using the same pen, highlighter, and text tools that apply to native handwritten pages, extending GoodNotes beyond pure blank-page note-taking.
Can I reuse a page's layout without rebuilding it from scratch?
Yes, duplicating a page creates a copy including all its existing content and structure, which is useful for preserving a template layout (like a weekly planner format) while starting a fresh page that already has that same structure in place.
Can I sync my GoodNotes notebooks across an iPad and a Mac?
Yes, GoodNotes syncs notebooks across devices signed into the same account via iCloud, letting you start a notebook on an iPad and continue editing it on a Mac with changes reflected on both.
Does undo work across different tools, like reversing a highlight after switching to the pen?
Yes — Cmd+Z steps back through your actual chronological action history regardless of which tool was active for each individual action, so switching tools between strokes doesn't break the undo chain; it simply reverses whatever the most recent action was, tool-switch or not.
Is there a way to zoom into a page for more precise handwriting without using a pinch gesture?
On Mac, Cmd+Plus and Cmd+Minus adjust zoom level directly from the keyboard, a precise alternative to a trackpad pinch gesture, useful for writing small annotations in a tight margin or reviewing a densely packed page at a larger, more legible size before zooming back out.