OneNote on Windows finally lets you switch between vertical and horizontal tabs

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The choice is yours when it comes to your OneNote layout.

OneNote Pen Focused View
(Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

What you need to know

  • OneNote on Windows now supports horizontal and vertical tabs.
  • This brings the design options for OneNote on Windows in line with OneNote for Windows 10 (the two are separate despite having similar names).
  • The web, Mac, and iPad versions of OneNote also use a vertical tab layout.

OneNote on Windows can now toggle between horizontal and vertical tabs. The option was announced by Microsoft back in December 2022, and it has since made its way to general availability. Microsoft's Vishnu Nath shared the news about the option rolling out.

Vertical tabs are already an option on most versions of OneNote, including OneNote for web, Mac, and iPad. It's also available on OneNote for Windows 10, which is an entirely separate app than OneNote on Windows.

The new unified OneNote brings together the best features from several versions of the app into one space, aligning Microsoft's efforts on the Windows platform.

Vertical tabs in OneNote on Windows

OneNote on Windows now lets you choose between vertical tabs (shown above) and horizontal tabs. (Image credit: Microsoft)

"The #1 request we’ve heard from educators and schools looking to move to the OneNote on  Windows (Desktop) version is an option to allow the user interface to look similar to the OneNote for Windows 10 version of OneNote, with pages, sections and notebooks aligned on the left-hand side, and the horizontal tabs to disappear," said Microsoft in December of last year.

For those that prefer the current layout with horizontal tabs, it will remain available.

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote

Somewhat confusingly, there are two versions of OneNote available on Windows. This one is the version that will receive new features and visual updates going forward.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.