OneNote not able to search handwriting 2

Anonymous
2020-03-12T02:45:54+00:00

OneNote could be great - if it was working

I am using an Ipad with ipad pen for handwritten notes

when I search for handwritten words in the search function it only searches my first 2 pages -

No handwritten notes are searched after the first 2 pages of my note book - it does search typed text beyond the first 2 pages - INFACT all the pages search for typed text

It works perfectly on the first 2 pages for handwritten text - it finds every word - even those that are quite poorly written in terms of legibility and identification of each letter

It searches nothing at all handwritten on the pages after the first 2 - no matter how perfectly written or easily identifiable the word or numbers are

PLEASE NOTE EDIT - it turns out it actually won't search any handwritten notes that have been made since the first day I stated using the App and the first 2 pages - if I erase something written in page 1 or 2 and re write it - much neater as perfectly as my hand writting will manage - that word no longer searches - when it did before the re write - the words are synced through Ipad, PC on Onedrive online - but wont search ?

NEW EDIT - If I open a new note book with a new section and a new page that new page is searching handwritten text - but only on the first page 

Is there any solution to this ?

Can hand written text only be searched on the first page of any given notebook ?

I really like the App but if it doesnt work I cant see how I can keep using it

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-04-25T20:00:28+00:00

    I am having the same exact issue. I recently bought an iPad Pro with the specific reason for taking notes in OneNote. I have been a long time OneNote user and was excited to “hand” write my notes with the Apple Pencil and have my notes be searchable. Well, I am extremely disappointed now to learn it is not. The only way it works is if you highlight the Notes in OneNote 2016 and convert from a drawing to hand writing. This is tedious to do for each note and not a good solution. 

    I have tried both OneDrive personal and business accounts with both not working. 

    Microsoft - from all of the research I have done on this, this has been a known issue since 2016. PLEASE FIX NOW! Thanks!

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-04-25T20:47:43+00:00

    No, this is not a known issue.

    About 2016 this feature was not implemented on all platforms.

    The current problem is a SERVER problem resulting from bad design/implementation (OCR + indexing outsourced on overloaded servers). Now it works only on OneNote 2016 because this feature runs locally.

    Bernd

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-04-26T00:28:02+00:00

    No, this is not a known issue.

    About 2016 this feature was not implemented on all platforms.

    The current problem is a SERVER problem resulting from bad design/implementation (OCR + indexing outsourced on overloaded servers). Now it works only on OneNote 2016 because this feature runs locally.

    Bernd

    Thanks for clarifying. I did find other threads with the same/similar issues dating a few years back but, either way, it’s a problem. 

    Do you feel that Microsoft will fix it soon? Otherwise, I will need to start researching replacements. I’m already pretty invested in OneNote so would prefer to stick with them.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-04-26T07:49:38+00:00

    I am the same - bought the new ipad and apple pen to get rid of multiple paper notebooks that obviously cant be searched 

    But if onenote cant be searched its about as useful as a paper notebook 

    hopefully they sort it out otherwise I will havevto use something else although i am also reasonably  invested in onenote 

    can anyone suggest an alternative ? 

    evernote ?

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-04-26T08:47:31+00:00

    Noted, unfortunately this is not a solution!

    Does  it mean that  if you are using an iPad and sync with a PC running ON2016 handwriting recognition will be synchronized back, or it will be only running on the PC?

    What about Mac version of ON, will recognition work there? Apparently not.

    Thanks in advance

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