Note takers, take note: Papyrus for Windows Phone is now available

By Daniel Rubino
published

Although Windows Phone currently lacks proper stylus support, Mother Nature gave you an organic one, your finger. The next issue is needing a decent app that takes advantage of this tool and that’s where Papyrus comes in. Announced back at Nokia World last month, Papyrus is one of two note taking apps to come to Windows Phone, giving users ample choice for handwriting (the other was InNote).

Papyrus 1.0 is now live on the Store and the app is proving to be especially useful if you have a large-screened device like the Lumia 1520. The app features a rich assortment of features, including a Live Tile, pin to Start, different sized lines, color variation for pens, insertion of images and pinch to zoom. Unfortunately there is no backup to SkyDrive, though we suppose that could come out later.

Other features on board include:

  • Take notes with your finger or passive stylus
  • Vector graphics engine
  • Undo and redo actions
  • Use the selection tool to select, move, and resize items
  • Change the color and weight of selected items
  • Cut, copy, and paste items between notes and pages
  • Erase entire strokes with the stroke eraser
  • Multiple paper types and sizes, including infinite page size
  • Two finger scroll and pinch-to-zoom
  • Organize notes within notebooks
  • Sort notes and notebooks
  • Image import, crop, and resize
  • Pin notes to Start screen for quick access

All in all, for a version 1.0 and considering its price—100% free—we can’t find much to complain about with Papyrus. It’s fast, looks sharp and gives the user plenty of options to make the most out of note taking.

If you have a Windows Phone, especially a Lumia 1520, you may want to take a look at this app or its competitor InNote to suit your needs.

Head to the Store here to pick up Papyrus today. Windows Phone 8. Thanks, Lal K., for the tip!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

44 Comments
  • Looks good on the 1520!
  • Not bad at all
  • I wish more apps would support SkyDrive or some form of cloud storage.  Since WP8 skydrive doesn't backup app data it makes upgrades kind of painful.  Sometimes you don't realize lost data until it's too late.
  • writing with fingers isn't the most convinient thing, but a nice app. anyone has any idea about 3rd party capacitive styluses that may work with our phones?
  • You can still use any stylus given the super sensitive touch of Lumia phones.
  • no, unfortunately not. I tried it with a wacom digitizer pen and a Lumia 1020 and it did not work at all.
    I can use a freaking pencil. Why not a stylus?
  • Haha.. Yeah?? I'll try it with the normal stylus from my old htc tomorrow. I tried a plastic pen just now. It didn't work. Strange. I need to understand this tech properly. Lol
  • It has to be a capacitive stylus, or have metal in the tip (if super sensitive touch is enabled). Plastic (like Wacom pens) won't work (capacitive technology requires conductivity).
  • Needs Skydrive support, but otherwise works well.  The stylus I use with my Kindle works great making this more usefull.  Would love to see some basic drawing tools (line, box, ciricle, etc.) and engineering grid background but otherwise great
  • What stylus ate you using?
  • Pens work well as Styluses
  • Yep, as long as there is metal in the tip (and super sensitive touch probably needs to be turned on -- if not, usually only capacitive styluses work).
  • Would be nice to see an upgraded OneNote... for now Papyrus will have to do 
  • Good to see more and more official apps coming to windows phone......go windows phone ,make its users proud !!!! :D
  • I like it
  • I commend people whose handwriting actually works on this. I've tried it on my L920 with a stylus and super-sensitive on...and it came out as the handwriting of someone with either severe Parkinson (with all due respect) or writing during a big earthquake =P
  • Which stylus do you use??
  • I tried it with a generic one that came with a cover for my L920 (it's similar to the one Daniel showed in the L1520 cover review)
  • More major apps the better!
  • OneNote is still my fav note taking app, but I'll still download this anyway :)
  • Big miss by Nokia by not including stylus support on the 1520. 
  • Oh Yeah, that would be a great addition for the anyway great phone. I really want to hold this brick in my hands. :D
    Still four months to wait for me..
  • When is temple run 2 arriving on Windows phone?
  • Totally relevant question to this post! I'll tell you, Temple Run 2 arrives for Windows Phone on...
  • What is funny for me is that Daniel replies to these posts, making them amusing when actually they are just bluntly out of context.
  • Yeah Daniel,when is it arriving??
  • On...... Next year "100 percent relevant answer"
  • Nice! Looks great on my Lumia 1020!!
  • Would have been nice if the 1520 supported a stylus... Damn you Microsoft!!!
  • We can relax now
  • My favorite app on Android. This and InNote are great on my 520. I carry around an iPad Mini that I use a Intuos Creative Stylus with. For a stylus, it works fine on the Lumia for the most part.
  • there is a far better writing app available with great and more funtions...by a chinese dev call FREEWRITE  including recording,..photos and more full hanwriting.....try it out ....nothing like it should be given the proper review it deserves ther is more than two handwriting apps available.......this FREEWRITE IS TOPS AND FREEEEEEEEEE OH yes i forgot....skydrive backup and restore also  
  • Unfortunately, people tend to go for the more popular apps instead of the ones with the most functionality.
  • surely the ones with most funtionality should be most popular.........anyway i'm advertising it now  
  • It's not always the functionality. Often people go for the nicer UI and user experience, even if it means waiting for a few features.
  • this one's got it all and more
     
  • I compared them both before commenting.
  • This app design... Don't know where to finds the words to describe...
  • Going to try it. Downloading now.
  • I always use my fingers for everything
  • It has no ink to text recognition and stylus input experience will be a poor one. A good start but the app is still 2004, not 2013.
  • this one's got it all and more   " ink to text recognition" is not involved here papyrus...inNote..dont have either "stylus input experience" is excellent on freewrite...even finger nail works
  • Can it be protected by password?
  • yes...just download and try