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How to Highlight Text in OneNote on an iPhone: Solutions & Workarounds
Question details
The user wants to know how to apply text highlighting to their notes within the Microsoft OneNote application on an iPhone.
- Product
- Microsoft OneNote
- Device & OS
- iPhone
- Scenario
- Reviewing or editing notes on a mobile device and attempting to highlight important text passages.
- Observed behavior
- The text highlighter tool is missing or unavailable in the iPhone version of the OneNote application.
Keep in mind that the iOS app for iPhone has specific feature limitations compared to its desktop and iPad counterparts, so ensure your notebooks are fully synced before applying cross-device workarounds.
Sync and Highlight Text Using a Desktop or iPad
Since the iPhone app lacks a built-in text highlighter, the most reliable method is syncing your notes and highlighting them on a supported device.
The OneNote application for iPhone currently does not feature a native text highlighting tool in its formatting ribbon. However, any highlighting applied on other devices will render perfectly on your iPhone display.
Open OneNote on your iPhone, pull down on your notebook list to manually sync, and ensure your recent edits are backed up to your Microsoft account.
Launch the OneNote application on your desktop computer (Windows or Mac) or on an iPad and log in with the same Microsoft account.
Navigate to the specific note, select the text you want to emphasize, and click the 'Text Highlight Color' icon located in the Home tab.
Allow the notebook to sync. Once completed, open the note on your iPhone, and you will see the highlighted text correctly displayed.
Use Text Formatting Alternatives on iPhone
Use the available formatting tools within the iPhone app to emphasize your text without needing a secondary device.
Submit Feedback to Request the Feature
Notify the Microsoft development team that a text highlighting feature is essential for your mobile workflow.
Switch to WPS Office for Powerful Mobile Document Editing
If you need a fully-featured mobile application to edit documents, highlight text, and take notes without strict device limitations, WPS Office is an excellent, free alternative. It offers robust formatting tools right on your iPhone.
- 1. Open your document: Launch the WPS Office app on your iPhone and open the document you wish to edit.
- 2. Select the text: Press and hold to select the specific text passages you want to emphasize.
- 3. Apply highlight: Tap the highlight tool from the quick formatting menu to instantly color your text background.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Microsoft add a text highlighter to OneNote for iPhone?
Microsoft frequently updates the OneNote app based on user feedback. While there is no official timeline for adding a text highlighter to the iPhone app, actively submitting a feature request through the settings menu increases the likelihood of it being included in future updates.
Can I view highlights made on other devices on my iPhone?
Yes. If you highlight text in OneNote using your computer or iPad, those highlights will sync to the cloud and display correctly when you view the same note on your iPhone app.
Are there alternative ways to emphasize text in OneNote for iPhone?
Yes. While the traditional background highlighter color tool is missing, you can emphasize text on your iPhone by using bold, italics, underlining, or by changing the font color entirely using the available formatting toolbar above your mobile keyboard.
