Please note: 'Goodnotes 6' is now commonly referred to as simply 'Goodnotes'. For the purposes of this article, we will use 'Goodnotes 6' for clarity.
The upgrade from Goodnotes 5 to 6 can be deployed remotely via managed configuration without requiring users to reinstall the app manually. However, we strongly recommend ensuring all users have backed up their data before initiating the deployment.
This can be achieved through iCloud Sync, Auto Backup or a Manual Backup. Normally, your MDM solution should provide an option to deploy a managed configuration by saving the changes without reinstalling, for example, Jamf's own documentation. Please refer to the documentation of your MDM solution if you are unsure.
As an IT Administrator of a school, you may have seen the release of Goodnotes 6 and wondered how you can look to upgrade your existing License Key and provide your end-users with access to the new app. In short, this can be done by simply changing your existing MDM deployment.
Changing between GoodNotes 5 and Goodnotes 6 in your business or school is entirely your choice, and the IT Administrator of the respective organisation can do this themselves by changing the AppConfig deployment listed in our MDM Installation Guide.
How to upgrade
To upgrade your existing deployment to Goodnotes 6, simply add one new line to your managed configuration:
Add the key GoodnotesVersion with the value 6.
Here's what your configuration should look like with the new line added:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>ManagedAppConfigurationVersion</key> <string>1</string> <key>LicenseKey</key> <string>AAAAAA-BBBBBB-CCCCCC-DDDDDD-123456-V3</string> <key>GoodnotesVersion</key>
<integer>6</integer> </dict> </plist>
Once the data is saved, your app will be deployed as Goodnotes 6 to your end-users.
Unlike private users who can manually switch between app versions, managed users don't see a downgrade option. The app version is controlled entirely by your managed configuration.
- When you deploy with
GoodnotesVersionset to6, users will see the latest interface. - To revert to Goodnotes 5, simply remove the
GoodnotesVersionkey from your configuration or redeploy the Goodnotes 5 configuration from our Goodnotes 5 installation article.
About Goodnotes 7: The latest version (7) is now simply called "Goodnotes." You don't need to change the integer from 6 to 7 in your configuration - leaving it at 6 will give your users access to all the new features in the latest version.