How to sync Onyx BOOX notes to Dropbox automatically

Onyx BOOX tablets are the easiest e-ink devices to get notes off. A BOOX can save every notebook to Dropbox as a PDF automatically, each time you close it, with no export button to remember. This guide sets that up, then shows how to make the handwriting searchable.

What you need

• A BOOX tablet with the built-in Notes app (Note Air, Note Max, Tab, Go and others).
• A Dropbox account. The free Basic plan has 2 GB, which holds a lot of handwritten notebooks.

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Step 1: Sign in to Dropbox on your BOOX

1. On the tablet, open Settings › Accounts.
2. Choose Dropbox and sign in with your Dropbox account.

You can also add a cloud account from the Library, using the cloud storage button. Either way, the account is now linked for the whole tablet.

Step 2: Turn on automatic PDF export

In the Notes app settings, switch on the option to export notebooks as PDF automatically when you close them. The exact name of the setting varies a little between firmware versions; look for auto export or export as PDF in the Notes settings.

From now on, every time you close a notebook, your BOOX writes a fresh PDF of it to Dropbox. If you want to push a note without closing it, use Sync from the notebook's toolbar.

Step 3: Find the folder in Dropbox

Open Dropbox on your computer and look for the folder your BOOX created. On current firmware it's usually:

Older BOOX firmware that linked Dropbox from inside the Notes app used /Apps/onyx-knote/<Device>-Notepads instead. Whichever you have, note the path: you'll need it in the next step.

Step 4: Make the notes searchable with Penlo

A folder of PDFs is a backup, not a notebook you can search. Penlo reads every PDF in that folder, transcribes your handwriting, and makes it searchable across all your notebooks.

1. Sign up at notes.penlo.app. You get a 7-day trial of the top plan, no card needed.
2. Pick Onyx BOOX as your device, then Dropbox as your storage, and sign in to the same Dropbox account.
3. Choose the folder from step 3.

Already have a backlog of notes in that folder? Use Import all notes in Penlo's Settings › Sources & sync to bring them all in at once.

What happens from now on

You write on your BOOX and close the note. The PDF lands in Dropbox, Dropbox lets Penlo know, and within moments the notebook is in Penlo: transcribed, tidied up, summarised and searchable.

Troubleshooting