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How to Fix Multiple Author Names on OneNote Pages

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to consolidate or hide the multiple author names that appear next to edited text blocks on OneNote pages.

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Co-authoring notes or editing the same OneNote page across multiple devices and Microsoft accounts.
Observed behavior: OneNote displays different author names next to text blocks, cluttering the page interface after edits are made using various Microsoft accounts or devices.

Before you start

Ensure you know which primary Microsoft account credentials you intend to use moving forward, and verify that your OneNote application is updated to the latest version.

Solution 1Recommended

Hide Author Tags from the History Tab

The easiest way to remove the visual clutter of multiple author names without altering the document's actual content or structure.

Open OneNote

Launch Microsoft OneNote and navigate to the specific page that is displaying the unwanted author names.

Navigate to the History Tab

Click on the 'History' tab located in the top ribbon menu of the application.

Hide Authors

Click on the 'Hide Authors' button to toggle the visibility of the author tags off. The names will immediately disappear from the page.

Temporary Display Setting: Keep in mind that hiding authors is only a local view setting. The author data is still retained in the background of the document and this does not permanently change the document metadata.

Solution 2

Standardize Your Microsoft Account Across Devices

Prevent multiple author names from appearing in future edits by using a consistent login and Office username across all your devices.

Solution 3

Copy Content to a New Page

A practical workaround to permanently consolidate existing author tags so that all current content is attributed to a single author.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do different author names appear on my OneNote page?

This typically happens when edits are made to a shared notebook using different Microsoft accounts, or when you edit the same notebook from multiple devices (like a PC and a smartphone) that have different Office usernames or aliases configured.

Can I permanently delete specific author tags in OneNote?

No, Microsoft OneNote does not allow you to directly edit or delete individual existing author tags. You can only hide them from view using the History tab, or use the workaround of copying all the content to a brand-new page to reset the authorship to your current active account.

Does hiding authors in OneNote affect other users sharing the notebook?

Hiding author tags via the 'Hide Authors' button is a local view setting. Other collaborators who have the notebook open on their own devices may still see the author names unless they also manually choose to hide them in their own OneNote application.

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