Evernote's stunning comeback: AI takes center stage after years in the shadows!
If you're anything like me, it's been ages since Evernote crossed your mind. This once-beloved note-taking app, a former App Store favorite, has battled declining user interest and financial struggles for quite some time. The last big buzz around it was back in 2022, when it was acquired by the Milan-based developer Bending Spoons (check out the details here: https://www.engadget.com/evernote-bending-spoons-acquisition-201505825.html). Just about nine months after that, Bending Spoons made the tough call to let go of nearly all of Evernote's U.S. staff (more on that story here: https://www.engadget.com/evernote-is-relocating-to-europe-after-laying-off-most-of-its-us-workforce-205012133.html) and shift the remaining operations to Europe. But now, Evernote is gearing up to reclaim its spotlight.
Since Bending Spoons took the helm, they've rolled out over 200 enhancements, building up to today's launch of Evernote v11. This marks the app's first significant update since the underwhelming v10 release in 2020 (you can read about that redesign here: https://www.engadget.com/evernote-cross-platform-note-taking-app-redesign-interview-130026972.html). Version 11 introduces several cutting-edge AI capabilities, including one developed in partnership with OpenAI.
'I hope v11 convinces users to give it a fresh look and appreciate its speed, dependability, and comprehensive features,' shared Federico Simionato, Evernote's product lead, during our video conversation. 'Many still hold onto an old-school view of Evernote as sluggish and buggy, but that's not the reality anymore.'
But here's where it gets exciting: The standout new addition is the AI Assistant. Simionato likens it to embedding ChatGPT directly into Evernote, and it's no coincidence—they teamed up with OpenAI to bring it to life. As you might expect, you can leverage AI Assistant to comb through your notes and notebooks, but its powers extend further. It lets you engage with your documents interactively, posing follow-up queries, and even crafting fresh content that you can seamlessly weave into your existing notes. During my demonstration, Simionato showed how he used it to insert a flight ticket number into a note about his upcoming Spain getaway. Looking ahead, Bending Spoons aims to supercharge AI Assistant, enabling it to tag notes automatically or execute batch operations on multiple files, and more.
By default, AI Assistant will be activated for all premium subscribers, with detailed settings to control what data it can tap into. Thanks to their deal with OpenAI, Bending Spoons ensures that user data isn't used to train their models. Plus, any information sent to the cloud for processing is only retained for the duration needed to fulfill your request. And this is the part most people miss: This proactive AI approach stems from direct user input. In 2023, they introduced AI Search, but with extra safeguards to prioritize privacy—users had to navigate deep into settings to enable it. Simionato revealed that feedback showed this was 'too much hassle,' and as folks grow more at ease with AI, the team opted to make AI Assistant readily accessible right away.
Now, for a feature that's been a long-time dream: Semantic Search. Forget hunting for notes by exact keywords or phrases; this tool understands context to sift through your documents. Simionato walked me through it by entering 'Barcelona trip,' which pulled up a note about a Girona excursion. If you're new to this, Girona is a charming city roughly 62 miles northeast of Barcelona in Catalonia. The note didn't mention Barcelona at all, yet Semantic Search nailed it. According to Simionato, this has been the top request from loyal Evernote fans for over a decade, and Bending Spoons is thrilled to finally make it happen.
Lastly, they've beefed up the app's recording and transcription tools. Expanding on AI Transcribe, introduced in 2024, Evernote now captures audio from both live and virtual meetings, transcribing and summarizing conversations automatically. This works across all supported languages, making it a game-changer for productivity.
As a heads-up, these AI enhancements are rolling out to all paid users. They'll hit desktop and web platforms first this month, with mobile versions coming soon. Simionato mentioned they're exploring a trial for free users in the near future. For now, subscription prices remain unchanged, though adjustments are planned to better differentiate the Personal and Professional plans.
But here's where it gets controversial: Is Evernote's deep dive into AI a brilliant revival or a privacy minefield? With layoffs and relocations in its recent past, some might argue this AI push is a way to cut costs and boost profits at the expense of user trust. Others could see it as an overdue innovation that finally brings Evernote into the modern era. What do you think—does integrating AI like this make note-taking smarter, or does it raise red flags about data security? And with pricing tweaks on the horizon, will this widen the gap between free and paid users unfairly? Share your thoughts in the comments; I'd love to hear if you're excited, skeptical, or somewhere in between!
