Evernote Reborn: AI-powered Update Aims to Revive Note-Taking App
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Evernote is making a bold push to reclaim its position in the crowded note-taking market with the release of version 11, a major update packed with new artificial intelligence (AI) features. After years of declining popularity and a tumultuous sale to milan-based developer Bending Spoons in 2022, the company hopes this overhaul will remind users why Evernote was once a staple for digital institution.
For years,the note-taking app faced declining popularity and profitability. The last major shift came in 2022 with its acquisition by Bending Spoons, followed by significant workforce reductions and a relocation of operations to Europe approximately nine months later. Now,Bending Spoons is betting on AI to spark a resurgence.
A History of Improvements Leading to v11
Since taking the reins, Bending Spoons has quietly rolled out over 200 improvements to Evernote. This culminated in today’s launch of v11,the first ample release since the poorly received v10 in 2020. The update is being touted as a complete reimagining of the Evernote experience, addressing past criticisms of speed and reliability.
“My wish for v11 is that people give it a try and see how fast and reliable it is, how complete it is in what it offers,” said Evernote’s product lead, federico Simionato, during a recent discussion. “I think people have an outdated opinion of Evernote that used to match reality, when Evernote was slow and unreliable.”
Introducing AI Assistant: ChatGPT Within Evernote
The centerpiece of the v11 update is AI Assistant, described by simionato as essentially having ChatGPT integrated directly into Evernote. Developed in collaboration with OpenAI, the tool goes beyond simple search, allowing users to interact with their notes, ask follow-up questions, and even generate new content.
In a demonstration, Simionato showcased AI Assistant’s ability to seamlessly add a flight ticket number to a note detailing an upcoming trip to Spain. Bending Spoons plans to further enhance AI Assistant, with future capabilities including automated tag assignment and bulk actions across multiple documents.
AI Assistant will be enabled by default for all paid Evernote users. Users will have granular control over what content the AI can access, and Bending Spoons has assured users that OpenAI will not train its models on evernote user data. Any data sent for processing will be held only for the duration of the request.
Semantic Search: A Decade-Long Wish Fulfilled
Alongside AI Assistant, Evernote is finally delivering a feature long requested by its user base: Semantic Search. Unlike conventional search,which relies on exact keyword matches,Semantic Search understands context.
Simionato demonstrated this by searching for “Barcelona trip” and Evernote surfacing a note about a trip to Girona, a city near Barcelona, despite the note never explicitly mentioning Barcelona. According to Simionato, this contextual understanding is the most requested feature from longtime Evernote users.
Enhanced Recording and Transcription Capabilities
Evernote is also expanding its audio recording and transcription features, building upon the AI Transcribe tool introduced in 2024. Users can now record audio from both in-person and online meetings,with Evernote automatically transcribing and summarizing the content in any of the languages currently supported by the app.
Pricing and Availability
The new AI features in Evernote are currently available to all paid subscribers. Bending Spoons plans to offer a free trial of these features in the coming months. While the price of existing paid plans will not immediately increase, the company anticipates adjustments in the future, especially to better differentiate between the Personal and Professional tiers.
