Microsoft OneNote is a mobile productivity powerhouse, and it is now available in a version for Apple Watch.

What Is Apple Watch?

Smartphones used to be one of the smallest mobile devices you could use, but now an even smaller wearable mobile device is available for your wrist. The Apple Watch is one such device with about 7 million users as of June 2015, according to MarketWatch.

But what can you do with it, as far as getting work done for school, work, or other projects?


For one thing, you can use it with third-party apps, including streamlined versions of productivity apps from Microsoft.

Using Microsoft OneNote on Your Apple Watch

Microsoft OneNote helps students, professionals, or anyone capture important ideas. It is available in desktop and mobile versions, including one for Apple Watch. Because this is a smaller device, only a few core tools are available but they are pretty awesome.

For example, you can dictate into your Apple Watch and it will be captured as a note in OneNote.

You can see past notes you have created, although this is in a simple list so accessing a note from eons ago will likely be a frustrating experience for you. Select a past note and you will be able to read it.

You cannot change or edit notes. You are also limited to dictation as far as inputting notes, which means this isn't a great way to take notes in class, for example. Also, the Apple Watch does not have a camera, so you will be unable to attach photos--or anything else--to your OneNote notes created on the watch.

Text only.

Using Other Microsoft Office Programs with Your Apple Watch

Some Microsoft Office programs are more likely to take off for the wearable mobile device environment. For example, drafting an entire Word or Excel document is not likely to be a very enjoyable experience (and at this point neither of these programs is available for Apple Watch.  

My guess is that this trend for productivity from your wrist will be for simpler tasks, such as the note capturing functions just described. 

You should, however, check out this other Microsoft app for giving presentations: How to Control Microsoft PowerPoint with Your Apple Watch.

How to Download Apple Watch Compatible Apps from Microsoft

Bear in mind that apps need to be available for Watch OS, Apple's operating system for these wearable mobile devices, which is based on iOS.

Here are compatible Microsoft Office program apps you can download from Apple for free. 

Download the Microsoft OneNote App for Apple Watch from iTunes in the Apple App Store

Download the Microsoft PowerPoint App for Apple Watch from iTunes in the Apple App Store

You can also find Microsoft's OneDrive and Skype apps for Apple Watch.

Please keep in mind that Microsoft's apps for these Watch OS devices are highly simplified versions of the desktop programs you may be used to. The idea is to have access to a few key functions. Otherwise, you should rely on a smartphone version of OneNote, for example, or stick to desktop.

Other Mobile Note App Alternatives You May Also Be Interested In

If you have an Apple Watch and want a few alternative note apps to consider, I would start with these, which you can compare to the Microsoft OneNote for Watch OS app:

Evernote for Apple Watch from iTunes in the Apple App Store

N+OTES for Apple Watch from iTunes in the Apple App Store

Use Your Handwriting (as in, use it on iPhone then view on Apple Watch) from iTunes in the Apple App Store

Or, if you are not ready to jump into Apple Watch, here are some other versions of popular note apps you may want to take a look at next:

Microsoft OneNote for Desktop, Web, and Mobile

Evernote for Desktop, Web, and Mobile

Google Keep for Web