1.Scratchpad
Scratchpad is a simple and straightforward note-taking web app developed directly by Google. The app provides basic formatting options, making it more versatile than standard desktop notepads. The toolbar provides a drop-down menu for changing the selected font and font size. You can make text bold or italic, underline words, or strike through characters. Both bullet lists and numbered lists are available.
Scratchpad’s defining feature, however, may be its syncing functionality. Scratchpad stores notes on your Google Drive in a folder aptly named “Scratchpad.” Saving is automatic and takes place silently in the background. If you want the peace of mind knowing that your notes are backed up, consider giving Scratchpad a spin.
Scratchpad comes pre-installed on Chromebooks and opens in a small window by default. While the automatic syncing, formatting options, and built-in spellcheck makes Sratchpad heavier than a basic notepad application, it gets the job done.
2.Drive Notepad
Drive Notepad is more of a standard text editor. The app saves and opens notes directly to and from Google Drive, but it lacks the auto-syncing features of Scratchpad. While Drive Notepad lacks formatting options, it comes with numbered lines by default. An options menu pops out of a hovering menu bar, which you are free to click and drag wherever you like.
It doesn’t just edit text inside Google Chrome, though. For people who want a notepad for editing code or writing scripts, Drive Notepad also comes with syntax highlighting. It is the only app on this list that does.
You can snap Drive Notepad into its own window to make it feel more like a dedicated application, but the hovering menu bar gets in the way if you make the window too small.
