Does OneNote automatically save? How to use the Microsoft app's sync feature to autosave

Posted by Jenniffer Sheldon on Sunday, January 14, 2024

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  • OneNote automatically saves your work through its notebook syncing feature. 
  • To use this Microsoft note-taking app feature, you have to enable the "Sync automatically whenever there are changes" option through the File menu. 
  • On a Windows PC, you can disable and re-enable OneNote's syncing feature at any time.
  • Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

OneNote, an organizational platform in Microsoft's Office Suite, offers an elegant solution to organizing your personal and professional notes.

The program's default setting on PCs and Macs is to save your work as you type automatically, and it's one powerful way OneNote helps keep your life in order. If, however, your OneNote application is no longer saving as you go, you can re-enable the program's automatic sync function to ensure things are continuously saved.

It's important to note that you can't enable or disable the auto-sync feature on OneNote for Macs, unlike PCs. So if you're using the note-taking app on a Mac, trust that your work will always autosave. 

Here's how PC users can enable auto-saving in a few easy steps. 

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How to autosave on OneNote using the sync feature on PC

1. Launch the OneNote app for Windows.

Clicking "File" will redirect an open OneNote notebook to a hub of options. Emma Witman/Business Insider

2. Click "File" in the top left corner of your open OneNote window.

3. Select "View Sync Status."

If you dislike automatic saving in OneNote, you can manually sync as needed. Emma Witman/Business Insider

4. Select "Sync automatically whenever there are changes." 

A green progress bar will indicate a notebook's progress toward being fully synced. Emma Witman/Business Insider

5. Click "Close" to return to your notebook. If there have been changes since your last manual sync, the notebook will then automatically sync.

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Emma Witman Emma Witman is an Asheville, NC-based freelance journalist with a keen interest in writing about hardware, PC gaming, politics, and personal finance. She is a former crime reporter for a daily newspaper, and has also written extensively about bartending for Insider. She may or may not judge your drink order when behind the bar. Follow her on Twitter at @emwity. Read more Read less

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