Note-Taking Apps for iOS and Android

With so many note-taking apps on the market for iOS and Android, it’s hard to know which ones to choose. We share three of our favorites below.

1. Evernote (free, iOS, Android) shows up in every list like this, but it’s for a reason — Evernote is one of the strongest and most flexible notes apps around.

Funnily we don’t find its interface especially useful when taking plain old quickie-type notes, but when it comes to dropping in items for reference and adding notes to those, it’s invaluable. Evernote has map and location info, shareable notebooks, and its notes allow you to easily drop in files of all types, including audio and images, which are then synced between the web, the desktop app and your smartphone app.

2. Simplenote is a basic notetaking app with an easy-to-use interface. It’s free for iPhone and iPad, and syncs with Android phones. Syncing with all of the above is also conveniently available through the web or desktop apps.

3. Audionote ($4.99, iOS) functions like those note-taking recorder pens you see as aisle endcaps in big box stores: it makes an audio recording as you take notes, then can play them back along with whatever you’ve written or drawn.

Did we miss your favorite note-taking apps for Android or OS? Share your favs in the comments below.
By Laura E. Hall