This is a frustration that's been bugging me for ages, and I've only now got around to sorting it!

It's a personal preference of course, but I really dislike the current version of OneNote provided as part of Windows 11 and Office 365.

For those unaware, Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking app that allows you to capture and organise everything across your devices, from notes and sketches to web clips and audio recordings.

The below picture is what the current OneNote looks like (with dark mode enabled).

I'm not a fan of this version. I find it really clunky to use, the menu options aren't as easy to locate, and for an unknown reason, I dislike the horizontal tabs. Again - this is just a personal preference, so don't shoot me!

The below screenshot shows the version that I've been wanting to revert to.

I much prefer the vertical tabs, it still supports dark mode (which is a must for me), and my favourite setting (as seen below) is easily located. I've still not been able to find this setting in the latest OneNote release!

I fell down a rabbit hole trying to locate and install the older version, as I was under the impression that it was called “OneNote 2016”. I'd download and run the installer, only for nothing to change.

That's when I stumbled upon this post. I discovered the product names for OneNote on Windows have changed. “OneNote” now refers to the Windows desktop version (previously called “OneNote 2016”), and “OneNote for Windows 10” refers to the older version.

So I'd been installing OneNote 2016, which turns out to be the current version (albeit under a new name). What I should have been looking for is OneNote for Windows 10.

Not confusing at all, right?!

To my surprise, OneNote for Windows 10 is still available on the Microsoft Store, here!

I'm running it on Windows 11, so don't let the name fool you.

Anyway, this was just a short and sharp point for anyone that may be interested!