🕰️ Short History & Ownership of Notability
1. Founding & Ginger Labs
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Ginger Labs was established around 2008 by a small, self-funded team focused on productivity tools (notability.medium.com).
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Their first app, soundAMP, launched in 2009 to help users with hearing difficulties by turning an iPhone into a customizable hearing amplifier (notability.medium.com).
2. Launch of Notability (2010)
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In April 2010, they introduced Notability for iPad, blending handwriting, audio recording, and PDF annotation into one tool (notability.medium.com).
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It quickly became a best-selling app on the App Store and expanded support to iPhone and Mac over time
3. Steady Updates & Global Adoption:
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By 2024, Notability had received over 220 major updates, including shape recognition, an in-app sticker shop, and split-screen features
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It remains a top-selling tool used by students, educators, professionals, and creatives worldwide
4. Ownership & Company Culture:
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Notability is fully owned and operated by Ginger Labs, Inc., a self-funded company that maintains creative control and distributes stock options internally (blog.notability.com).
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The team emphasizes a balanced, collaborative, and open work culture, with strong employee retention and profit-sharing (blog.notability.com).
5. Pricing Model Shift (2021):
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Originally sold as a one-time paid app (~$9–12) with optional in-app purchases (notability.medium.com).
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On November 1, 2021, Notability switched to a freemium model: free to download with optional annual subscription, while giving legacy users lifetime access to previously purchased features (notability.medium.com).
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This change followed feedback and a policy reversal to comply with App Store guidelines
🌟 Notability: A Complete Overview:
1. What is Notability?
Notability, developed by Ginger Labs and launched in 2010, is a powerful note-taking and PDF annotation app designed for iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Loved by students and professionals alike, it’s one of the top-selling productivity apps in Apple’s App Store.
2. Key Tools & Features:
✏️ Rich Writing & Drawing Tools
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Pens, pencils, and highlighters: Fully customizable with pressure sensitivity and a range of colors and textures (support.gingerlabs.com).
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Eraser & lasso tools: Precisely remove content or select parts of notes to move, resize, or edit (support.gingerlabs.com).
📝 Typing & Text Management
📄 PDF & Media Annotation
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Import and annotate PDFs, images, GIFs, stickers, and scans directly within notes (support.gingerlabs.com).
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Shape detection: Draw neat shapes like circles and squares automatically.
🎧 Audio Sync & Playback
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Audio recording during note-taking: Notes sync with audio, enabling playback from specific points (support.gingerlabs.com).
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Transcription & transcripts are available in the premium plan (notability.com).
📚 Organizational Tools
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Library structure: Organize notes into subjects and dividers, drag-and-drop, search, and filter (support.gingerlabs.com).
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Gallery of templates: Access a collection of user-generated templates and share your own (beingpaperless.com).
🤖 AI-Powered Learning Features (Plus Subscription)
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Smart summaries: Auto-generated summarizations of lecture notes (notability.com).
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Quizzes & flashcards: Study aids automatically created from your notes.
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Math conversion: Turn handwritten equations into clean, formatted math (notability.com).
🖥️ Presentation & MultiModes
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Presentation mode: Share notes in a clean, distraction-free view with a laser pointer tool.
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Split-screen multi-note: View and edit two notes side (support.gingerlabs.com).
3. Benefits of Using Notability
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Versatility: Combines handwriting, text, audio, and PDFs in one platform .
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Efficient workflows: Handwriting search, text conversion, and synced audio boost productivity (notability.com).
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Learning enhancement: AI-generated summaries, quizzes, and flashcards support deeper learning and exam prep.
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Great for education: Teachers and students can collaborate, annotate assignments, and replay lectures via Note Replay (notability.com).
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Creative flexibility: Ideal for sketching, storyboarding, digital planning, and artistic expression.
4. How to Get Started & Work with Notability
🔹 Install & Explore
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Download free from the Apple App Store. The starter edition includes unlimited PDF imports, recording, split-screen, templates, and gallery (notability.com).
🔹 Create Your First Note
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Tap +New in the Library.
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Choose paper type (lined, graph, or dot) or import a scan/PDF template (support.gingerlabs.com).
🔹 Use the Toolbox
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Access pens, highlighters, text, images, lasso, eraser, mic, zoom, tape, ruler, and laser pointer (support.gingerlabs.com).
🔹 Record & Replay
🔹 Explore AI Features (Plus Users)
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After taking notes, use Learn mode to generate summaries, create quizzes/flashcards, or convert math/handwriting.
🔹 Organize & Share
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Arrange notes into subjects/dividers.
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Export/share as PDFs, .note, images, or audio; sync via iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more.
🔹 Present or Collaborate
5. Pricing Plans:
| Plan |
Cost |
Core Features |
| Starter |
Free |
PDF import/annotation, audio recording, templates, split-view, gallery (notability.com) |
| Plus |
~$14.99–19.99/yr |
All Starter features plus unlimited editing, handwriting-to-text, math conversion, transcription, iCloud sync, AI study tools |
Educational institutions can get Notability Plus free via Apple School Manager (notability.com).
6. Use Cases & Testimonials:
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🧑🎓 Students: “Record lectures using Note Replay and annotate textbook PDFs. … I’ve never seen a program load such large PDFs so quickly.” – Joshua Kim (University of Pennsylvania) (notability.com)
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👩🏫 Teachers: “Rather than sending a blurry whiteboard picture… I can present notes in class and send the same PDF.” – Lisa Queeno (notability.com)
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🎶 Professionals: “Note Replay allows me to record every audition and take notes. … I save hours.” – Vince Gassi (notability.com) 7. Closing Remarks:
A feature-rich yet user-friendly platform, Notability allows you to record ideas, lectures, diagrams, and multimedia information in one location. Strong features like math conversion, handwriting search, audio synchronization, and AI-powered study aids make it equally appropriate for students, teachers, and creative professionals.
Are you prepared to accept the note-taking of the future? Notability's free Starter plan provides a wealth of resources to get started, while its Plus subscription opens up cutting-edge resources that improve productivity, teaching, and learning.
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