Microsoft's services can be hit or miss, but when it comes to OneNote, it's most certainly a hit. The note-taking application has been, quite deservedly, at the top of most productivity lists for a long time. And a recent update to the Android app has made it even easier to keep your notes secure, too. Now you can add passwords and use your fingerprint to unlock sections. 

The section protection and password setup process

It's worth noting (ha) that OneNote received the ability to open password-protected sections in an earlier update, but now you can also create them from your phone. The process isn't too complicated.

All you need to do is long-hold on a section, tap the "Protect section" option at the bottom, and you are prompted to enter a password for it. Hit OK, and it is now password protected. You'll have it unlocked for now, but when it is locked later, you'll need to re-enter the password, as you'd probably expect. And be careful, if you lose your password, OneNote can't recover your data.

Unlocking a section with a password (left) and with a fingerprint (right)

The new fingerprint option doesn't immediately become clear until the first time you unlock a section. When you do, there's a new toggle option below the password entry field that allows you to use a fingerprint in addition to the password. If you choose to enable it (as it is set to be by default), you'll be prompted to unlock via your fingerprint next time.

In addition to these headlining features, the latest update includes the obligatory "bug fixes and performance improvements" that no update can do without. The full changelog is just below.

WHAT'S NEW

•Add a password to a section to keep your notes safe from prying eyes

•Use your fingerprint to unlock password protected sections

•Bug fixes and performance improvements

These changes are live right now in the stable version of OneNote, which you can download over at Google Play or APK Mirror. Whether you're protecting something as innocuous as shopping lists and short story notes, or something more confidential like privileged work materials, now OneNote can keep your data a bit safer.