OneNote Finally Lets You Merge Table Cells and Paste Text Without Formatting

Microsoft is rolling out two long-awaited OneNote features that give users more control over how their notes look and behave, especially when working with tables and pasted content.

Merge cells in tables

For years, OneNote users have asked for the ability to merge table cells. Now it’s finally possible. You can select two or more cells, side-by-side, then, right-click or head to the Table tab and hit “Merge Cells.” Whether you’re making headers, grouping content, or cleaning up a messy table, this adds much-needed layout freedom.

This works across Windows, Mac, iPad, and web. Some platforms like iPhone and Android only support viewing merged cells for now, but Microsoft says editing support will come later.

Paste as plain text

OneNote for Windows and Mac also now supports a plain text paste shortcut—no weird fonts or backgrounds from emails or web content. You can press:

• Ctrl + Shift + V on Windows
• Cmd + Shift + V on Mac

You can also right-click and choose “Paste Text Only.” The feature keeps your notes consistent without extra cleanup. It also matches what users may already be used to in Teams, Gmail, and other apps.

This plain text paste option is available on Windows (build 16.0.19101.10000+), Mac (16.100.719.0+), and OneNote Online. All in all, these new features resolves common frustrations of users and make OneNote more reliable for organized, clutter-free note-taking.