Multiple templates (To-Do lists, grocery lists, daily reflections, etc.)Įvernote’s Web Clipper is an extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.Web Clipper browser extension (more on that below).I just use drafts.app for that, now.Depending on their plan, users can enjoy to varying extents the following features: Evernote is still a bit heavy and slow on the open for that purpose, and those notes start to clutter your library. I often make quick lists that I only need for a few minutes-writing down the family's orders for Chinese food, for instance. I updated my notebook organization to reflect what I realized I actually use Evernote for.įinally, and perhaps most importantly, I stopped using Evernote for everything. I have the plus button set up to surface 'new note' and 'scan document' which fit my needs nicely. Recent notes and a pinned note (a very frequently referenced shopping list note) let me get at stuff I want to access quickly. The current home design and 'plus button' designs on iOS do a lot to facilitate the use I described above. I don't know when it happened, but the current iOS app is much speedier especially on launch. Evernote has always been pretty good at these functions, but the iOS app used to have speed issues on launch that added a lot of friction and frustration. I frequently encounter PDFs (e.g., an instruction manual for my washer), bits of paper (e.g., receipts with tracking numbers when I ship a return back to Amazon), emails (e.g., an email with instructions for accessing an Airbnb), etc., that I want to (A) quickly capture, and (B) quickly access. Specifically: Evernote's 'second brain' branding really does capture what I use Evernote for. I carefully thought through what I use Evernote for, and found that its iOS apps are, actually, quite good for those uses. This realization led me to downgrade my worries and frustrations with using the Mac app. I occasionally use the Mac app, but I had not really appreciated how much of my use happens on mobile. I realized that the vast majority of my use is on the iPhone and iPad, not on Mac.

(I'm not going to talk about shortcomings of other apps I want to explain why I've come back around to thinking that Evernote is a good solution for me, not explain why it's the least bad option.) I thought it might be interesting for the community if I explained why I recently came back, and why I've been pretty happy with doing so. About a year ago I canceled my subscription, exported everything, and decamped for another app.

What is evernote good for