Does Chrome have a built-in notepad?
No. Chrome can save pages (bookmarks, the reading list in the side panel, tab groups), but it has nowhere to write your own text. Every way to take notes in Chrome is either a web app in a tab, an app on your computer, or an extension.
1. Google Keep or Google Docs in a tab
Best for: notes you also want on your phone.
- Google Keep (keep.google.com): short notes, checklists, labels, reminders; syncs with the Keep app on Android and iPhone.
- Google Docs (type
docs.newin the address bar): a full document editor. Offline mode must be turned on in advance while you are online.
Limits: both need a Google account and live in a tab you have to keep open or find again. NotePADD vs Google Keep.
2. A temporary notepad tab
Best for: a scratch pad for the next five minutes.
Type data:text/html,<html contenteditable> in the address bar and press Enter. The page
turns into a blank sheet you can type in. Bookmark it to open it quickly next time.
Limits: nothing is saved; closing the tab or the browser loses the text. How it works and how to make it better.
3. Your computer's notes app
Best for: notes that are not about the browser at all.
- Windows: Notepad (recent versions keep unsaved tabs between sessions) and Sticky Notes (syncs through a Microsoft account).
- Mac: Notes (syncs through iCloud) and Stickies.
- Chromebook: the Google Keep app.
Limits: a separate window to switch to, and each computer has a different app. Sticky notes compared.
4. A notepad extension
Best for: quick notes while you browse, one click away on any computer with Chrome.
A notepad extension adds an icon to the toolbar; click it and your notes open over the page. With NotePADD:
- Add it from the Chrome Web Store and pin it from the puzzle-piece icon.
- Click the icon, press New Note and type. The note is saved on your computer as you type.
- Create more notes, search them, use checklists and formatting.
- If you like, lock notes with a password or back them up to your own Google Drive.
Limits: NotePADD opens as a popup and closes when you click the page; it is not a side panel. Notes are tied to this computer unless you turn on the Drive backup. Other notepad extensions compared.
5. Notes on the page itself
Best for: annotating a specific web page. Sticky-note and highlighter extensions attach a note to the page where you wrote it, so it shows up when you return. They are a poor fit for general notes that are not tied to one page.
Which way should I choose?
| You want… | Use |
|---|---|
| Notes on your phone too | Google Keep |
| Long, formatted documents | Google Docs |
| A scratch pad for a few minutes | A data:text/html tab |
| Quick notes from the toolbar, offline, no account | NotePADD |
| Private notes with a password | NotePADD with encryption (how) |
| A note stuck to a particular page | A sticky-note extension |