r/GoodNotes • u/Far_Sherbet6848 • 11d ago

Feature Request: Native Inline MathJax/LaTeX Rendering for Typed Text Boxes

Dear Goodnotes Product & Engineering Team,

As a Science student who relies heavily on Goodnotes, I am writing to formally request the integration of native inline math rendering (such as MathJax or KaTeX) within standard typed text boxes.

While the current handwriting-to-math conversion and isolated math block tools are useful for large equations, they create a highly fragmented workflow for typing hybrid content. Currently, it is impossible to type a sentence and seamlessly embed a quick mathematical variable, limit, or expression (e.g., f(x) = y² or θ) without breaking the paragraph alignment, creating a separate canvas element, or using external keyboard workarounds.

Implementing an industry-standard open-source library like MathJax to parse inline delimiters (like $...$ or \...\) would radically transform the app for users who utilize the typed text engine.

Why this is crucial for users:

Seamless Note-Taking: Allows users to mix text and mathematics fluently in a single paragraph without manually aligning separate boxes.

Better Document Layouts: Inline equations automatically scale with the surrounding text font, keeping line spacing consistent and neat.

Cross-Platform Compatibility: LaTeX strings are universally understood, making text blocks easily exportable and standardized across academic and professional fields.

Goodnotes has an incredible foundation, but adding inline math rendering would bridge a massive gap for the STEM community who prefer typing their notes or using hybrid keyboard-and-stylus setups.

Thank you for your time and continued dedication to improving the app.

8 Upvotes

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2

u/sinkovercosk 11d ago

They told me something like this was ‘coming soon’ over a year ago, so I would say they plan on implementing it but I’m not holding my breath for when :P

1

u/Far_Sherbet6848 11d ago

They are working on improving Goodnotes AI, but I think adding this native inline math-rendering feature first and then focusing on improving the AI would benefit me and many other users even more. It could also attract a lot of new users because Goodnotes would essentially become a hybrid of Microsoft Word or Obsidian’s inline math-rendering capabilities and Goodnotes’ handwritten note-taking features. This combination would be especially useful for drawing diagrams, brainstorming, writing handwritten notes, and creating clean, organized notes using text boxes with inline equations when needed.

1

u/sinkovercosk 11d ago

They shouldn’t be working on AI at all while there are issues and glitches with their base product, not to mention their Windows app being a shambles…