In a nutshell: Remember when Evernote was the app that every productivity fan needed on their device? It's fallen out of favor in the last few years, but the company is determined to recapture its former glories, starting with a completely redesigned iOS app. New Android, Windows, and Mac apps will follow in the coming weeks.
Virtually every "Must-have app" list from the mid-2010s contained Evernote, which at one point was valued at $1.2 billion and boasted over 225 million users. But things took a downward turn when premium prices went up, and free features stopped being gratis. There was also a privacy outcry when the app's policy let employees look at users' notes, though this quickly became opt-in.
Evernote lost several high-level execs in 2018 and decided to cut the cost of its annual subscription by almost half. It also had another round of layoffs, leading to claims that it was in a "death spiral."
Evernote hopes to make its app popular again by completely rebuilding it from the ground up, starting with the iOS version. This new incarnation is faster, easier to use, and more reliable than its predecessors.
New features include a more intuitive and useful editor, real-time search suggestions with filtering, and a cleaner, more intuitive interface.
Users have more control over notes' appearance, extra options for headers and tables, and can change fonts, colors, highlights, and checklists. The formatting toolbar, meanwhile, suggests your most-used options.
There's also a multi-function Insert button for adding rich content quickly and easily, a redesigned document scanner, and nested tags have been introduced.
The most welcome change might be the move to a new codebase, thereby ensuring more stability and reliability. It also means bugs can be addressed quickly, smoother syncing across platforms, and features will arrive more regularly.
Evernote says more features, including Apple Watch support, will arrive soon.