Key Takeaways
- The Thoughts app – previously recommended as a whiteboard solution for the iPad – is no longer available in the App Store, making an alternative necessary.
- Unlimited Whiteboard is recommended as the best current replacement: a free, single-board app that works without any mandatory cloud sync.
- Apple's built-in Whiteboard app is unsuitable for business use because it relies on iCloud, which is not GDPR-compliant.
- Unlimited Whiteboard is free for one board; additional boards require a one-time in-app purchase of €8.99.
- A key advantage of Unlimited Whiteboard over Thoughts is the ability to export directly as a PDF (Thoughts only exported as an image).
- One workflow difference: in Unlimited Whiteboard you always start writing in the top-left corner, so plan your layout in advance and move down and to the right first if you need more space.
- Sharing options include email and saving to the Files app – no forced cloud synchronisation.
- Unlimited Whiteboard does not replace a full note-taking app like OneNote; it is designed for the occasional need of a blank sheet of paper, e.g. in a sales meeting.
- Deleting an app that is no longer in the App Store means you can never reinstall it – think twice before removing apps.
- The iOS "offload apps" feature is not recommended: offloaded apps cannot be used offline and, if the app is removed from the store, the data in a proprietary format may become inaccessible.
Introduction
Nice to have you with us again. Another episode of iPad4Activity or Digital4Productivity and another app tip today. As you know, I'm a big fan of the Thoughts app.
Thoughts is an unlimited whiteboard that I can simply open and write on with the Apple Pencil. The problem is, Thoughts is currently no longer available in the App Store. With this in mind, I've been looking for various apps that can be used to replicate this function. So the idea is to simply have a white sheet of paper that you can zoom to any size and then share the section you have on the screen, ideally as an image or even better as a PDF. Does this replace the OneNote application? No, because OneNote allows you to create your own notebook. Only occasionally do you find yourself in a situation where you just need a blank sheet of paper - in a sales meeting, for example. And my recommendation for this is currently Unlimited Whiteboard.
Now wait a minute, you say, that works with the Apple application that has now been added, the beautiful new whiteboard. Yes, the problem with this Apple whiteboard is similar to that of the notes applications. It can only really be used in conjunction with the iCloud services, and the iCloud services are not GDPR-compliant. Against this background, not suitable for business use.
Yes, but in Unlimited Whiteboard the app is free for now, and if you only need one board, then it stays free forever. And the idea is that there is an in-app purchase if you need or want to make more than one whiteboard. Now of course you can say, I only ever have one white sheet of paper, I delete it and then I only have the 8.99, then I'm zero, and if you have 8.99, you can make more. The fact that it doesn't replace a note-taking app like OneNote, my absolute favorite, but is just a white sheet of paper, I think that's pretty good.
And if you open it now, you have three dots at the bottom left, you have your whiteboards here. You realize I want to add another one, then it says, buy this once for 8.99. Yes, and the rest is relatively self-explanatory. In other words, if you have your Apple brush, just paint with it. And then when you're done with this whiteboard, you can go to the three dots next to it and then you can either clean the whole thing completely. It's a bit like those children's boards you used to have or you can adapt them accordingly. You can also change the background image or export it as a PDF. And exporting as a PDF even has the advantage over Thoughts. That was exported as an image. If you still have Thoughts, feel free to leave it on. I think Thoughts is also very, very good and for me it has an advantage over the whiteboard solution that I'm presenting to you now, over Unlimited.
When you start writing in Unlimited, you always start writing in the top left-hand corner and you can still go up a bit and to the left there, but you have to remember that ideally, if you know you need more space, you should first go down a bit to the right, whereas in Thoughts you don't have a corner at all. So that was a bit better with Thoughts. But with Unlimited you have the advantage that you can simply export the whole thing as a PDF. And it's not intuitive to use anyway. So Unlimited Whiteboard is the name of the application. It is reduced to the essentials. You can share it by email, you can also save it in the Files app. But you don't have any cloud services that force the whole thing to be synchronized. So there's another small difference compared to Apple's Whiteboard application, which is nice and which you can use for private purposes, but iCloud is a no-go for business purposes. I would rather recommend Unlimited Whiteboard.
Conclusion
Yes, I hope this little tip has helped either the users who were wondering why Thoughts might not appear on the new iPad or others who are saying, oh, such a white sheet of paper is a good idea. Helped.
Incidentally, it's a good idea to think twice before deleting an application. Because as long as it is on your iPad, you can use it, even if it is no longer available in the Store. The moment you delete it, it must be available in the Store. So that's why I'm a friend of deleting things that you don't need. I tend to be a little cautious when it comes to applications. Incidentally, this also applies to outsourcing applications, which is actually not a stupid idea.
The idea is that if you use an application less frequently, you can set it in the settings of your iPad so that apps are swapped out, so that they are practically uninstalled, but the data is saved. All a wonderful idea. There are only two drawbacks, namely The first drawback is that if you need the app and you are currently offline, you can't use the app because it reloads it from the AppStore and you have certainly already found it, which is the second drawback, if the app no longer exists and, in the worst case, you have a proprietary file format in this app, then it is also worthless and you can no longer access it.
So I'm not going to show you what the catch is. Because I'm saying that there are much more sensible ways to save storage space. So outsourcing applications is definitely not a good idea. I wouldn't do it.
Yes, I hope this gives you a little boost to use your iPad even more productively. Because as you know, the motto of this iPad and this podcast is Digital4Productivity.
See you next time.
Yours, Thorsten Jekel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Thoughts no longer available for the iPad?
Thoughts was an unlimited whiteboard app that could be used with the Apple Pencil, but it is currently no longer available in the App Store. As long as the app is still installed on your iPad you can continue to use it, but once you delete it you cannot reinstall it.
What is Unlimited Whiteboard and what does it do?
Unlimited Whiteboard is an iPad app that provides a blank, zoomable canvas on which you can write or draw with the Apple Pencil. It is reduced to the essentials: no notebooks, no forced cloud sync – just a white sheet of paper you can share via email or save to the Files app.
How much does Unlimited Whiteboard cost?
Unlimited Whiteboard is free for a single whiteboard, and it stays free forever if one board is all you need. If you want to create additional boards, there is a one-time in-app purchase of €8.99.
Why is Apple's Whiteboard app not suitable for business use?
Apple's built-in Whiteboard application requires iCloud services to function properly, and iCloud is not GDPR-compliant. For that reason it is not recommended for professional or business use, even though it works well for private purposes.
Can Unlimited Whiteboard export files as a PDF?
Yes, Unlimited Whiteboard can export the entire whiteboard content as a PDF. This is actually an advantage over Thoughts, which only exported content as an image.
Does Unlimited Whiteboard replace OneNote or other note-taking apps?
No, Unlimited Whiteboard does not replace a full note-taking application like OneNote. OneNote lets you create structured notebooks, whereas Unlimited Whiteboard is intentionally designed as a simple blank sheet of paper for situations – such as a sales meeting – where you just need a quick, unstructured canvas.
What is the main workflow difference between Unlimited Whiteboard and Thoughts?
In Unlimited Whiteboard, writing always starts in the top-left corner of the canvas; you can move slightly up and to the left, but if you know you will need more space you should scroll down and to the right before you begin. Thoughts, by contrast, had no fixed starting corner at all, which made it slightly more flexible for spontaneous layouts.
How can you share or save a whiteboard created in Unlimited Whiteboard?
You can share a whiteboard from Unlimited Whiteboard by sending it via email or by saving it directly to the Files app on your iPad. There are no cloud services that force synchronisation, so the content stays local unless you choose to share it.
What happens if you delete an app that is no longer in the App Store?
If you delete an app that is no longer available in the App Store, you cannot reinstall it. The recommendation is therefore to think twice before deleting apps – especially ones you still use occasionally – because once they are gone, they are gone for good.
Why is the iOS "offload apps" feature not recommended?
The "offload apps" feature uninstalls an app while keeping its data, and reloads it from the App Store when needed. There are two significant drawbacks: first, if you are offline when you need the app, it cannot be reloaded; second, if the app has been removed from the App Store and uses a proprietary file format, you lose access to your data permanently. For these reasons the feature is not recommended.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- Unlimited Whiteboard (App Store) – free iPad whiteboard app, recommended replacement for Thoughts; supports PDF export and sharing without iCloud.
- Thoughts – previously recommended unlimited whiteboard app for the iPad; no longer available in the App Store.
- OneNote – full note-taking and notebook app; mentioned as the absolute favourite for structured notes, not replaced by whiteboard apps.
- Apple Whiteboard – built-in Apple whiteboard app; suitable for private use only due to mandatory iCloud sync (not GDPR-compliant for business).
- Files app (iPad) – used to save exported whiteboards locally on the device.
