Microsoft Journal is the newest Windows note-taking app

Microsoft has released yet another notetaking app, this time directed at digital ink enthusiasts. The app, Microsoft Journal, was first introduced as a Garage project back in February of 2021. Since then, it has grown and evolved to become a full-fledged Windows app on the Microsoft Store.

Meet Microsoft Journal, Windows’ newest pen-first notetaking app

Microsoft announced today that it is elevating one of its Garage projects to become a full-fledged Windows app. Like many other notetaking apps out there, Microsoft Journal will let you take takes by drawing or writing on your screen. Additionally, you can use the app to mark up PDFs and other types of documents, too.

Microsoft says that the app “offers a delightful freeform personal notetaking experience” for fans of digital ink. On top of offering similar drawing mechanics seen in other notetaking apps, Microsoft Journal will also use gestures to fluidly edit and create documents. You’ll be able to use gestures to scratch out content you no longer need. Finally, you can lasso and move content around as you see fit.

Additionally, because the app is made by Microsoft, it will seamlessly integrate with your Microsoft 365 calendar. That means you can tie notes directly to the meetings they pertain to, which should make it easier to keep up with them all. Furthermore, Microsoft Journal uses your device’s onboard AI to deliver super-fast response times, plus more privacy.

Microsoft Journal will be available on the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The app will roll out between April 5 to April 8.

What is the Microsoft Garage?

Garage is a program that Microsoft introduced to help “drive innovation” to its employees, customers, and partners. The program essentially lets developers work on an app and test it with groups to see how well it’s accepted and how well it does. But ultimately, it’s an area where developers can experiment with new ideas and see what sticks.

Now that the company is making Microsoft Journal a fully supported product, though, users can expect to see additional features being added in the future. And, Journal isn’t even the first project to come out of Garage. Tons of other systems like 3D models in Office, the Azure Quickstart center, eye control in Windows 10, and even the Microsoft Launcher found their start in Garage.

You can download Microsoft Journal from the Microsoft Store.