Microsoft OneNote is a fantastic digital note-taking app which you can get for a variety of devices, including your Windows desktop.

However, one of its less desirable elements is the OneNote icon that sits in your system tray. There's also a "Send to OneNote" button that appears in some other Office applications. What if you don't want this clutter?

We're going to tell you how to remove the OneNote icon in the system tray and the "Send to OneNote" button.

How to Remove the OneNote Icon From the System Tray

Prior to Office 2016, the OneNote icon in the system tray was called Send to OneNote. You could use it to quickly send captures to OneNote.

In modern versions of Office, the default use of the OneNote system tray icon is New quick note. You can change the icon's function; to do so, right-click it, hover OneNote icon defaults, and make your choice.

The Send to OneNote functionality is now the responsibility of the individual Office programs—we'll cover that below.

If you don't want the OneNote icon in your system tray:

onenote display options
  1. Open OpenNote.
  2. Click File in the top-left.
  3. Click Options in the bottom-left.
  4. On the left menu, click Display.
  5. Uncheck Place OneNote icon in the notification area of the taskbar.
  6. Click OK.

Related: Tips for Using Microsoft OneNote as Your To-Do List

How to Remove the "Send to OneNote" Button

As mentioned, while the Send to OneNote functionality was previously in the system tray, now it appears as a button in the Ribbon on Office applications.

To remove the Send to OneNote button:

outlook advanced options
  1. In the Office program (e.g., Outlook), click File in the top-left.
  2. Click Options in the bottom-left.
  3. On the left menu, click Advanced.
  4. Scroll down to the Other section.
  5. Uncheck Use Send to OneNote with OneNote for Windows 10, if available.
  6. Click OK.

OneNote Is Packed Full of Handy Features

If you ever change your mind and want to enable these OneNote features again, just reverse the steps above. OneNote is free and can be an excellent way to aid your productivity, so don't dismiss it too quickly.