How to convert handwriting to text using the iPad’s drag & drop feature

GoodNotes
GoodNotes Blog
Published in
2 min readSep 14, 2017

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Drag & drop was probably one of the most anticipated features of Apple’s iOS 11 release. The iPad finally is the productivity powerhouse that it was always meant to be because third-party apps are now much more integrated into the operating system.

GoodNotes 4 supports drag and drop till day 1. Thanks to the app’s outstanding OCR handwriting-to-text conversion feature, it is now possible to drag handwriting to other apps where it will be converted to typed text automatically. Have a look:

To convert handwriting to text on the iPad, use GoodNotes’ built-in Lasso Tool. Select your handwriting with it by drawing a circle around it. Tap and hold on the selection until your handwriting “lifts off” the page. Keep your finger on the object and move it to any direction to start the dragging gesture. You can now drag and drop your handwriting to any other app. While you hold on to the object, use your other hand to open the dock or the app switcher to bring in other apps.

Handwriting to text conversion is not supported by all other apps. The receiving app ideally needs to support plain-text as the primary format. Examples are the writing app iA Writer, or popular to-do and task managers like Trello, Todoist or Things 3.

Truly magical, right? 🦄

More amazing things you can do with drag & drop and handwriting to text conversion

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GoodNotes
GoodNotes Blog

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