A smartpen looks and writes like an ordinary ballpoint pen — real ink on real paper. The difference is a tiny optical sensor beside the tip. As you write, the pen captures every stroke and turns your handwriting into digital notes: searchable, backed up, and available on your phone, tablet or computer.
How does it work?
A smartpen writes on notebooks printed with a pattern of nearly invisible microdots, based on patented Anoto technology. The dot pattern is unique to every page, so as the pen's sensor reads it — a little like GPS for paper — the pen knows exactly which page you are on and where on that page you are writing. Your notes and drawings are captured as digital ink, faithful to the page they were written on.
The companion INQ app, free for iOS and Android, turns that digital ink into something more: your notes are backed up, organised by notebook and page, searchable, and transcribed to text — with accurate results even for messy handwriting.
Where are my notes stored?
For the most part, on the mobile device the pen is paired with. The pen connects to your phone or tablet over Bluetooth and delivers your writing to the INQ app, which keeps your notes on the device. If your phone isn't nearby, nothing is lost: the pen holds your writing in its built-in memory and syncs automatically the next time it connects.
From the mobile app, notes can also be viewed in the INQ web app on any computer with a browser, and downloaded in a variety of formats.
How does the data travel?
Between the pen and your mobile device, everything is transmitted over Bluetooth in an encrypted session.
Can a smartpen record audio?
The current INQ smartpen does not have an integrated microphone. Instead, the INQ app records audio using the microphone built into your paired smartphone — Android or iOS — and synchronises the recording with your handwriting. Your notes and what was said while you wrote them stay linked together, with recording, replay and transcription handled in the app.
Frequently asked questions
What does the INQ Writing Set include?
An INQ smartpen and a smart-paper notebook. You'll also want the free INQ app, available in the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android.
How do I turn the pen on and off?
There is no power button — the cap does the work. Take the cap off and the pen turns on; put it back on and the pen turns off. To save battery, the pen goes into standby when it isn't being used; simply start writing to wake it. An LED indicator on the pen shows its status.
How do I charge it, and how long does the battery last?
Charge over USB-C from any USB power source; a full charge takes about two hours. The pen provides up to 10 hours of continuous writing, and standby time is measured in weeks, not hours.
Do I need special paper?
Yes — the microdot pattern is what lets the pen know where it is writing, so a smartpen needs dot paper. INQ notebooks are available from SmartpenCentral in A5 and US Letter formats.
What ink does it use?
The INQ pen takes standard D1-style ink cartridges (0.7 mm nib) with carbon-free ink, replaced by simply pulling the old cartridge out. Compatible refills are available from SmartpenCentral.
What is notebook archiving?
Notebooks with the same type and number share the same dot pattern. When you finish a notebook, you archive it in the app: your notes move to an archive, and the pen is free to start a fresh notebook of the same type without mixing the two.
Do I need an internet connection?
Not to write. The pen and app connect directly over Bluetooth. An internet connection is used when the app backs up your notes and syncs them to the web app so they're available on your other devices.
A note about legacy Livescribe smartpens
The Livescribe Echo, Sky, Aegir and Livepen smartpens have all been discontinued, and no support is available for these legacy models. With certain very limited exceptions, owners of these products can continue to purchase Livescribe-branded paper from SmartpenCentral.com with confidence that it will operate normally. We regret that we cannot yet comment on whether the legacy generations of smartpen will continue to work with INQ-branded paper.
Ready to see it in action? Have a look at the INQ Writing Set.