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How to Show OneNote Tag Names Instead of Icons
Question details
The user wants to view the text names of tags rather than just their icons in OneNote.
- Product
- Microsoft OneNote
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Organizing, searching, and managing notes using descriptive tags.
- Observed behavior
- OneNote for Windows 10 (UWP) only displays tag icons and does not support viewing tag names, adding custom tags, generating tag summaries, or performing full tag searches.
Check whether you are using the OneNote for Windows 10 app or the OneNote Desktop application (formerly OneNote 2016), as the user interface and tagging capabilities differ significantly between the two.
Switch to the OneNote Desktop Application
Since the Windows 10 UWP app does not support displaying tag names, switching to the full desktop version restores advanced tagging capabilities.
Microsoft provides two main versions of OneNote for Windows. The OneNote desktop app (included with Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365) fully supports custom tags, tag names, and tag summaries, whereas the OneNote for Windows 10 app is simplified and only shows icons.
If you don't already have it, download the standard OneNote desktop application from the official Microsoft website or install it via your Microsoft 365 subscription.
Launch the OneNote desktop application and sign in with your Microsoft account to sync and open your existing notebooks.
Navigate to the 'Home' tab on the ribbon and look at the 'Tags' group. Here, you will see both the icons and the full text names for all available tags.
Click the drop-down arrow next to the tags box and select 'Customize Tags' at the bottom to create new tags with specific names and formatting.
Use Text-Based Tags as a Workaround
If you must continue using OneNote for Windows 10, manually typing searchable text symbols can substitute for named tags.
Manage Your Documents Efficiently with WPS Office
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- 1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website to download the free installation package for Windows, Mac, or Linux.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create custom tags in OneNote for Windows 10?
No, the OneNote for Windows 10 (UWP) app only supports a limited set of predefined tags and does not allow users to create custom tags. To create and manage custom tags, you must use the OneNote desktop application.
How do I perform a full tag search in OneNote?
Full tag searching is only available in the OneNote desktop app. You can access it by going to the 'Home' tab and clicking 'Find Tags', which opens a Tag Summary pane. The Windows 10 app only allows basic text searches and does not support compiling tag summaries.
What is the Evernote2OneNote add-in?
Evernote2OneNote is a third-party tool designed to import notes from Evernote into OneNote, which can also create searchable text tags during the process. However, this add-in is only compatible with OneNote 2010–2016 desktop versions and does not work with the OneNote for Windows 10 app.
