If you’re wary of the cost (understandable) either head to an Apple Store to give it a try before purchase or buy a second-hand model. However, it’s very good and certainly the best digital pen/stylus we’ve ever used. The Apple Pencil is expensive, no question.

Apple Pencil (either version) or one of the few compatible third-party digital pens.

Scribble requirementsĪside from the Office apps, Scribble has its own requirements, in short. Then just wait until the new pen appears on the Draw tab in Word, Excel or PowerPoint apps … the one with the letter A on it, as shown above. If you have an Apple Pencil or equivalent, enable Scribble in Settings. It will gradually roll out to public releases. Office Insiders v2.64 build 22080100 or later. Scribble is currently in the beta releases of Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPad. We’re told OneNote will get Scribble ‘in a few weeks’, so probably sometime in September 2022. OneNote with ScribbleĪ little surprising that the OneNote app doesn’t have Scribble yet. There is an “Ink to Text” option in PowerPoint app but it’s not as simple or elegant as Scribble. The easy way to know if you have Scribble is going to Settings | Apple Pencil, look for Scribble.

You’ll also need an Apple Pencil or a compatible third-party ‘pen’. Scribble is the ‘ink to text’ feature in iOS 14 and 15, appearing in most modern iPads. The same independent help, tips and money saving advice we’ve given in Office Watch for over two decades.Ĭlick here to get the next, free, issue About Scribble on iPad Keep up with the latest Microsoft Office news and tips specifically for Mac computers (M1 and Intel) iPad and iPhone. The ‘digital ink’ to text conversion is done by Apple’s technology in iOS, not Microsoft. That means you’re able to write (with Apple Pencil or similar) direct onto the screen and have it immediately translated into text in a document, sheet, slide or message.

Microsoft has integrated the Scribble feature into some Office for iPad apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, so far with OneNote promised soon). What you’ll need, how to setup and the new thing to look for on the Draw tab of the Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps. Handwrite direct into Office apps for iPad, converting your writing into text right away, courtesy of the iOS Scribble feature.

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