Troubleshoot Sticky Notes - Microsoft Support (2024)

Here are some things to try when you’re running into errors when using Sticky Notes.

• I keep seeing a notification to update my app

• I can't see my sticky notes on my other devices

• My notes won't stay on top of other apps

• I can't change the font text or size

• I can't sort my notes

• What happened to my old Sticky Notes?

• My notes are stuck in full-screen mode

• I deleted a note. How do I get it back?

• Tapping or clicking "X" doesn't warn me about delete

• The Sticky Notes button on OneNote for iPhone or Android disappeared

• Why do I need an Exchange Online Mailbox?

• I can't sign in to my Sticky Notes

• I exceeded my storage limits for Sticky Notes

• My pen doesn't work right with Sticky Notes

• Can I export my sticky notes?

• Configuration information for system administrators

I keep seeing a notification to update my app

Yourapp version is out of dateand we are unable to sync your notes. You can continue using your Sticky Notes on your device, but to ensure that your notes are saved to the cloud and available to you across devices you need to update your app.

I can't see my sticky notes on my other devices

In the Sticky Notes app on Windows 10, open  Settings  and scroll down to the About section. Near the top you'll see the words Sticky Notes followed by series of numerals. This is your version number.

If this number is not above 3.7.106, you'll need to install the latest version, available from the  Microsoft App Store. 

If you are using the latest app and correct account, but your notes are still not syncing, try forcing sync.

1. Open the Sticky Notes app and view your list of notes.

   If only a single note is displayed, click or tap the ellipsis icon ( … ) in the upper-right of the note and then click or tap Notes list.

2. Click or tap the Settings icon located on the upper right of the Notes list.

3. Click or tap Sync now.

On Android (OneNote, Office, Launcher) you can navigate to the Google play store to view if there are new updates available. Update to the latest app version to be able to see your notes across devices.

On iOS (OneNote, Office) you can navigate to the Apple Store to view if there are new updates available. Update to the latest app version to be able to see your notes across devices.

My notes won't stay on top of other apps

You cannot currently have Sticky Notes stay on top of other applications. But you can pin Sticky Notes to the Windows taskbar to see your list of notes instantly or to create a new note quickly. When Sticky Notes is open, right-click its icon in the taskbar, and then click Pin to taskbar

I can't change the font text or size

You cannot currently change the font or size of note text directly from within the Sticky Notes app. But you change the text size for apps in general using Windows settings.

1. In Windows 10, click or tap the Start button, and then select Settings .

2. Click or tap Ease of Access.

   Tip:You can quickly go to Access settings by typing “ease of access” into the Search box on the Windows 10 taskbar.

3. Under Make text bigger, move the font slider to the right until the Sample text looks better.

4. Click or tap Apply.

   Note:You cannot change the font type using Windows settings. You can only change the font size.

I can't sort my notes

You cannot currently change the order of notes as they appear in the notes list. Notes appear in the notes list in the order of newest to oldest. The most recently modified note always appears at the top of the list.

What happened to my old Sticky Notes?

The previous version of Sticky Notes has been replaced with a Microsoft Store app of the same name. We brought over all the best features from the previous app, including migrating your pre-existing notes.

By making Sticky Notes a Microsoft Store app, we’ve been able to add intelligent new features, such as note sharing across devices, and Insights that allow your notes to dynamically interact with the Cortana digital assistant.

Don't worry. The new app automatically migrates your existing notes.

My notes are stuck in full-screen mode

If your notes are unexpectedly stuck in full-screen mode on Windows 10, try one of the following:

• Double-click or double-tap the note's title bar. The note will return to its original size.

  See Also

  Video: OneNote for the web

• Drag the title bar down. The note will return to its original size.

Tip:After the note is returned to its original size, you can change the size of the note manually by dragging the note's borders.

I deleted a note. How do I get it back?

Note deletion is permanent. It cannot be undone.

You can minimize the chance of deleting notes by mistake by making sure you've turned on the note deletion prompt. Click or tap the Settings icon located in the upper-right of the list of notes, and then set the Confirm before deleting button to On.

Tapping or clicking "X" doesn't warn me about delete

For Sticky Notes version 3.0 and later on Windows 10, tapping or clicking the Close icon ( X ) no longer deletes a note. It closes the note, which is saved to your Note list so you can reopen it later. You can turn on confirmation for note deleting in Settings.

1. Open the Sticky Notes app and view your list of notes.If only a single note is displayed, click or tap the ellipsis icon ( … ) in the upper-right of the note and then click or tap Notes list.

2. Click or tap the Settings icon located on the upper-right of the list of notes.

3. Set the Confirm before deleting button to On.

4. Open a note you want to delete.

5. Click or tap the ellipsis icon ( … ) on a note and select Delete note.

The Sticky Notes button on OneNote for iPhone or Android disappeared

Try updating the OneNote App.

• From an iPhone, go to the App Store to update OneNote, or try uninstalling and reinstalling.

• From an Android phone, go to the Play Store to update OneNote, or try uninstalling and reinstalling.

Why do I need an Exchange Online Mailbox?

When attempting to sync, Sticky Notes may display this error:

Sticky Notes currently requires an Exchange Online mailbox for sync and storage to work. Please contact your IT administrator about enabling a mailbox or use the option below to learn more.

For Work or School accounts (AAD), Sticky Notes requires an Exchange online mailbox in order to store and sync your Sticky Notes. Since these are crucial functions of Sticky Notes, you won’t be able to sync your notes with this account. This means Any notes created or edited while this error is shown will not sync.

Some other notes to keep in mind:

• Sticky Notes currently does not support on-premises Microsoft Exchange mailboxes. 

• Syncing Sticky Notes may have been disabled for your organization. Check with your IT administrator if you continue to have problems syncing.

Please try the following:

• Contact your IT admin: Check with your admin about turning on an Exchange Online mailbox for your account.

• Another Account: Use a Microsoft Account to sign in and sync your notes.

I can't sign in to my Sticky Notes

When you try to sign in to Sticky Notes with a work account, you might see the following error message:

Sorry, there's an issue signing you in right now. Please try again and contact support if the problem persists.

You might also see an error code along with the message:

AadUnknownError 0x80070520 0xc0292007

Please try the following:

• Check for Windows updates: In Windows 10, click or tap the Start button, select Settings , and then in the Search box, type "updates". Select Check for updates to have Windows check for new updates.

• Reboot: Reboot your PC or mobile device, and then try to sign in again.

• Sticky Notes disabled: Check with your system administrator. Signing in to Sticky Notes might have been disabled for your organization.

I exceeded my storage limits for Sticky Notes

Sticky notes are saved in Outlook/Exchange and are counted against your mailbox quota of email, calendar items, attachments, and other mailbox items.

Learn how to reduce your mailbox storage.

My pen doesn't work right with Sticky Notes

Try the following if your pen isn't working correctly with Sticky Notes

• Check your Bluetooth connection:

  1. If you're using a Bluetooth digital pen, turn it on and make it discoverable.

  2. Turn on Bluetooth on your PC if it's not already on.

     In Windows 10, click or tap the Start button, select Settings , and then in the Search box, type "bluetooth".

  3. Select Bluetooth & other devices to connect your pen.

• Assign pen buttons to Sticky Notes: If the buttons on your pen aren't working correctly, you might need to reassign them to perform Sticky Notes actions. In Windows 10, click or tap the Start button, select Settings , and then in the Search box, type "pen settings". Select Pen settings, and then on the Pen & Windows Ink page, scroll down to Pen shortcuts to assign one of the pen's buttons to Sticky Notes.

  For example, for the Windows Surface Pen, assign the top button to open Sticky Notes so that when a thought strikes you, jotting it down is only a pen click away.

• Update your pen's driver software: Your pen's driver may be out-of-date or working incorrectly. To update the driver software, use Windows Update.

  In Windows 10, click or tap the Start button, select Settings , and then in the Search box, type "updates". Select Check for updates to have Windows check for new updates.

Can I export my sticky notes?

Yes. If you want to keep a record or backup of your sticky notes, you can export them from Outlook.com. Only applies if you have signed in to Sticky Notes and synced your notes (version 3.0 or later).

Learn how to use Outlook.com to export your sticky notes.

Configuration information for system administrators

If you are an IT pro or system administrator, you can use the Microsoft enterprise mobile device management (MDM) and configuration service provider (CSP) services for Windows 10 to configure how Sticky Notes is used in your organization.

Learn more about Configurating system settings for Sticky Notes.