Summary

Rocketbook combines a physical reusable notebook with a free mobile scanning app for iOS and Android. For people that like to jot down notes and plan out their schedule in a paper planner, but also like the versatility and convenience of having those notes in a digital version, Rocketbook is great. Another reason why people are choosing Rocketbook is the notebooks are thin and easy to carry around, offering a variety of sizes including legal, letter, and executive (which is around 7” x 10”). The pages are smooth and people love that they are erasable and are available for purchase both in stores and online. In addition to the notebooks, there are also many different single page printable templates available with Reddit, Pinterest, the Rocketbook Help Center, and even community based Google Drive folders where users can customize a variety of different templates including dot grids, graph paper, habit trackers, student planner pages, teacher lesson planner, music sheets and many more. The Rocketbook app is free. Users pay for the physical notebook, compatible pens, and any optional accessories rather than paying for a Premium app subscription.

With the erasable pages, users can write down their notes and when they want to make more room for other notes – they can create a digital copy with Rocketbook’s scanning feature and then the pages can be wiped clean with water and the microfiber cloth that comes with each notebook. The Pilot Frixion pens are designed to be erasable and work really well with each of the products that we trialed. We also trailed different types of Pilot Frixion pens, highlighters, markers and also used some of the generic erasable pens that can be purchased online.

The pages are smooth and come in a variety of styles. Within the app, there is a scanning tool that you can quickly snap a picture/take a scan to digitize anything you have written in your notebook. Like most other scanning apps, the Rocketbook app will also automatically detect the borders of the page, crop it, and enhances the scanned image.

Scans can then be sent to email or cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, OneNote, Evernote and other supported destinations so that users can access the information anywhere as long as they have internet access.

The app includes handwriting-recognition features such as Smart Titles, Smart Search, transcription, Smart Tags, and Smart Lists and in some of the newer Rocketbook notebooks the pages include smart title boxes where the app will automatically name the scanned file with what is written in the box at the top of the page.

Rocketbook beacons are a favorite among teachers. These orange triangular-shaped foam pieces are reusable and stick to any whiteboard surface to instantly digitize content that can then be printed and handed out to students without a lot of extra effort. This is great for students that have accommodations for notetaking assistance. These beacons provide an affordable alternative to smartboards while creating accessible, real-time digital copies of everything written between the four markers placed in the corners of the board.

Short How To

Account and App Setup

Download the free Rocketbook app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Open the app and follow the setup instructions.
Create an account or sign in, when prompted.
Allow the app to use the device’s camera.
Open the Destinations section.
Connect the symbols found at the bottom of the Rocketbook pages to email addresses, cloud-storage folders, or other supported services.
Decide whether scans should be sent automatically or reviewed before sending.

Rocketbook uses seven symbols printed at the bottom of its pages. Each symbol can be assigned to a particular destination. For example, one symbol could send notes to an email address, while another could send them to a specific Google Drive folder.

How to Write in the Notebook

Use a compatible Pilot FriXion pen or marker.
Write normally on the reusable page.
Allow the ink time to dry before touching the writing or closing the notebook.
Add a title, Smart Tag, list, or destination symbol when needed.
Scan the page before erasing it.

How to Scan a Page

Mark the destination symbol at the bottom of the page.
Open the scanning screen in the Rocketbook app.
Hold the phone approximately one foot above the notebook.
Make sure the entire page and its dark border appear on the screen.
Keep the page in good lighting and avoid shadows.
Wait for the app to automatically detect and capture the page.
Review the scan.
Add more pages when creating a multi-page file.
Select the green checkmark to send the scan, unless Auto-Send is enabled.

How to Erase and Reuse the Pages

Make sure all important pages have been scanned and saved.
Lightly dampen the microfiber cloth with water.
Wipe the page completely.
Use the dry part of the cloth to remove any remaining moisture or ink.
Allow the page to dry before writing again.

Reviewer Experience

We trialed this app with some of our adults with ADHD and found that the app was simple to set up and connect to cloud services and we were ready to scan our first page within just a couple of minutes of downloading the app. The destination symbols were easy to use/set up and the files transferred in a matter of seconds. The app interface is very simple and straightforward. Our client especially liked the OCR (handwriting recognition experience), as it was very accurate and so nice to not have to type out each handwritten page manually.

Some of the ways that this app could help people with disabilities:

Handwritten material can be converted into searchable digital text.
Transcribed notes can be opened in another app that offers text-to-speech, larger text, color changes, or other reading supports.
Digital copies can be organized instead of requiring users to search through multiple physical notebooks.
Notes can be shared with teachers, coworkers, family members, or support professionals.
Smart Titles and Smart Search may make locating information easier.
Users can preserve handwritten notes without copying them into a computer.
OCR may reduce the amount of retyping required.
Notes can be dictated, edited, or read aloud after being sent to another app.

Price

Supported Platforms