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How to Show More Pens in the OneNote Floating Toolbar in Portrait Mode
Question details
Users operating a 2-in-1 device in portrait mode notice that the OneNote floating pen toolbar displays fewer pen options than it does in landscape mode.
- Product
- Microsoft OneNote
- Device & OS
- 2-in-1 computer
- Scenario
- Using the OneNote application for drawing or taking handwritten notes while the device screen is rotated to portrait orientation.
- Observed behavior
- The floating toolbar automatically shrinks and reduces the number of visible pens, with no available setting to manually increase the pen count.
Verify that your OneNote application is updated to the latest version, though keep in mind that the toolbar's dynamic resizing is a default design behavior rather than a software bug.
Reorganize Pens and Utilize Landscape Mode
Since you cannot increase the total number of pens displayed in portrait mode, prioritize your most used pens or switch screen orientations for full access.
OneNote's interface dynamically adapts based on the available screen width. Because portrait mode is narrower, the toolbar shrinks to prevent overlapping with other UI elements.
Open OneNote in landscape mode where all pens are visible. Reorder your most frequently used pens to the first few slots so they remain visible when the toolbar inevitably shrinks in portrait mode.
When you need immediate access to your complete collection of pens and highlighters, physically rotate your 2-in-1 device back to landscape orientation.
Submit a Feature Request via the Microsoft Feedback Portal
Inform Microsoft developers that the portrait mode toolbar limitation is negatively impacting your workflow on 2-in-1 devices.
Boost Your Productivity with WPS Office
While OneNote limits toolbar customization in portrait mode, you can explore WPS Office for a lightweight, versatile alternative. WPS Office offers excellent compatibility with major document formats and includes intuitive PDF annotation tools for seamless note-taking on any device.
- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free application for your Windows 2-in-1 device.
- 2. Install and launch: Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software, then open WPS Office to access the unified dashboard.
- 3. Start annotating documents: Open any PDF or text document and navigate to the 'Comment' tab to access a variety of drawing and highlighting tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I manually resize the floating toolbar in OneNote?
No, OneNote does not provide an option to manually resize the floating toolbar. It automatically adjusts based on your device's screen size, notebook page, and orientation.
Why do some pens disappear when I rotate my tablet?
When you rotate your device to portrait mode, the screen becomes narrower. OneNote compensates by shrinking the toolbar, which hides some of the pens to fit the smaller width without overlapping other menus.
Are there third-party add-ins to fix the OneNote toolbar in portrait mode?
Currently, popular third-party tools and macros do not have the ability to override OneNote's core UI behavior regarding the responsive design of the floating pen toolbar.
