Microsoft is working on some major improvements for the quick notes experience in the OneNote app for Windows desktop, which some Microsoft 365 Insiders can test right now. The new experience brings a much more tailored interface for this experience, rather than trying to adapt the full OneNote UI into a smaller window.
The highlight of this update is the new toolbar, which gives you quick access to writing, inking, and screen clipping controls. This is a small floating toolbar that only contains the essential controls for taking quick notes. The text formatting tools let you underline or highlight your text among other things, including the ability to create bullet point lists or numbered lists. Then there are inking controls, with options to draw with a pen or highlighter pen, as well as use an eraser. Finally, the toolbar also includes a button for screen clipping, so you can quickly grab a screenshot of something on your screen and add it to the note.
It may seem like a relatively minor update, but it makes a lot more sense considering the current experience is not tailored for the smaller quick note window. The toolbar is mostly hidden and the only quickly accessible option is inking. You can expand the full toolbar, but it's obviously not designed for use with a small floating window like this one. The new toolbar also has an updated design language that better aligns with Microsoft's modern design principles for Windows 11, while the existing UI is more reminiscent of Windows 10.
To see this new experience for now, you'll need to be a Microsoft 365 Insider running version 2302 of the OneNote app (build 16118.20002). Even then, the experience is rolling out gradually, so not everyone will see it right away. Presumably, the experience will make its way to everyone in the coming weeks and months.
Source: Microsoft