Designed as a scratch paper app for the iPad, Loose Leaf is a new quick note taking app that uses a simple, no frills design and incorporates both clever sketching tools and intuitive touch gestures for a unique idea planning experience.

Like many simple note taking/sketching apps, Loose Leaf includes a pen for basic writing and sketching, along with a tool for erasing. There are five different pen colors available, plus an undo/redo button for fixing mistakes, and an image insertion tool for adding photos or images from the camera roll.

In addition to these basic tools, there's a useful cutting tool that allows users to cut out a section of the page (or an image) by drawing an outline with a finger. The cutout can be dragged to a new location with a two finger drag, or resized with pinch gestures. Pulling on a cutout with two fingers on each side will duplicate it, while two fingers will rotate it and pinching will resize it.


Two finger swipes on the left and the right of the screen will switch between pages that have been created, and dragging a cutout to the right side of the screen will save it in a "scrap drawer" so that it can be added to any other page.

A two finger pinch on the main sketch will open an overview menu of all sketches, where they can be reorganized, and pulling a sketch all the way to the left at this screen will delete it.

Loose Leaf also includes a ruler tool that can be shaped to create perfect lines or circles, which is useful for mapping out designs. The ruler tool is used like a real ruler, with one hand holding the shape on the screen and a second hand tracing it onto the page.


Sketches can be sent instantly to contacts, emailed, messaged, saved to the camera roll, printed, sent to someone via AirDrop, or shared on Twitter and Facebook. There's even a tool to upload sketches directly to image sharing site Imgur, and sketches can be opened in a variety of different apps like Dropbox, Pixelmator, Evernote, and more.

Loose Leaf's drawing tools are very basic, but combined with the ruler tool and intuitive gestures that make duplication super quick, the app can be useful for sketching out ideas, mocking up projects, and more.

Loose Leaf can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

spackl Avatar
146 months ago
While I have a similar mindset, it seems that most don't have a problem paying that much for a cup of coffee pretty much on any given day without much thought about it and with barely much of a benefit from it that is very temporary at best.

Comparing apples to oranges there. The previous comment you refer to was where the poster wanted the ability to try before buy. The poster wasn't against the price fully, but without any knowledge if they may like it, $5 was a bit high in the world of .99cent apps.

Your reference to paying that much for coffee doesn't compare because before one pays the arguably high prices for coffee at chain stores, they do so because they have had coffee before. They know they like it. Thus paying for something they like is a choice they can make. Here the other poster is saying, he rather try before paying and that makes perfect sense. And I am sure if the poster likes the demo, they wouldn't mind $5 as the the amount really wasn't the real issue, just the inability to try without the $5 risk.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
146 months ago
Was interested until I saw the price. Need to try a demo version of some sort before I give $5 for an app that may or may not work.
While I have a similar mindset, it seems that most don't have a problem paying that much for a cup of coffee pretty much on any given day without much thought about it and with barely much of a benefit from it that is very temporary at best.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2010mini Avatar
146 months ago
While I have a similar mindset, it seems that most don't have a problem paying that much for a cup of coffee pretty much on any given day without much thought about it and with barely much of a benefit from it that is very temporary at best.

So true. So true.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iSee Avatar
146 months ago
Was interested until I saw the price. Need to try a demo version of some sort before I give $5 for an app that may or may not work.

$5 is pretty trivial, IMO. I would like to see a review before I waste time with it, though.

Also, it's iPad only. I'm still looking for something decent in this realm for an iPhone 6+.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Traverse Avatar
146 months ago
While I have a similar mindset, it seems that most don't have a problem paying that much for a cup of coffee pretty much on any given day without much thought about it and with barely much of a benefit from it that is very temporary at best.

This app looks very interesting, but I've spent a lot of money on hand writing apps and have been disappointed in each one. I won't pay another $5 unless I can try it out.

----------

Not even a pack of scratch paper costs $4.99.

But can it share or import into other apps? Can it be backed up to the could without being scanned?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vanilla35 Avatar
146 months ago
While I have a similar mindset, it seems that most don't have a problem paying that much for a cup of coffee pretty much on any given day without much thought about it and with barely much of a benefit from it that is very temporary at best.

Coffee gives you an immediate, and much more tangible reward than software.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...