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Lectra is a free app for iPad where you read, mark up, and work on your course documents. You open a PDF, write on it with Apple Pencil, add typed notes, and keep blank notebook pages and scans next to it. When the reading turns into work, Python notebooks, a terminal, and a code editor live in the same app. Your library lives on your iPad and works without an internet connection. You don’t need an account to use Lectra. If you sign in, Lectra also keeps a backup copy of your pages.
On the App Store, Lectra is listed as Lectra Notes. It is free, with no ads and no tracking.

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Get started

Install Lectra

Download the app, choose whether to sign in, and open your first document.

Organize your library

Browse, sort, favorite, and file documents into folders.

Bring in documents

Add PDFs, images, and slides from Files, other apps, the share sheet, and Scope.

Mark up a document

Write, highlight, erase, select, and draw shapes on any page.

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Read and write

Use Apple Pencil

Double-tap, squeeze, hover, and finger-drawing options.

Add typed text

Place text boxes on a page and format them.

Create notebooks

Start from blank, lined, grid, dotted, or Cornell paper.

Scan paper documents

Turn worksheets and handouts into PDFs you can mark up.

Search your library

Find words in your PDFs, your typed notes, and your handwriting.

Record lectures

Record while you write, then tap your notes to hear that moment.

Apple Intelligence

Ask questions about your documents on your iPad, on supported devices.

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Keep and share your work

Export and share

Send a marked-up PDF anywhere, or save a full Lectra copy.

Backups

Learn what is backed up when you sign in, and what stays on your iPad.

Version history

Go back to an earlier version of a document.

Send between devices

Move PDFs between Chrome, Lectra on your iPad, and your Mac.

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Code and computing

Python

Run Python on your iPad, with no internet connection needed.

Jupyter notebooks

Open and run .ipynb notebooks with charts.

Terminal

Use a shell on your iPad.

Git

Clone, commit, and push projects.

Code editor

Edit project files with syntax highlighting.

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Lectra, your Mac, and Chrome

Connect your Mac

Install the free Mac menu bar app so your iPad can see and control your Mac, send it files, and share text with it.

Remote Desktop

See and control your Mac from your iPad.

Lectra Receiver for Chrome

Send PDFs between Chrome and Lectra on your iPad.

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Reference and help

Settings

What every setting does.

Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcuts for a hardware keyboard.

Troubleshooting

Fixes for common problems.

Get help

Contact the Scope team.

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What you need

  • An iPad with iPadOS 18 or later. For the full list, see System requirements.
  • Apple Pencil is recommended for handwriting.
  • An account is optional. You need one only to back up your pages and to receive files sent from Scope. To learn more, see Your Scope account.

Privacy

How Scope handles your data.

Send files from Chrome to your iPad

Send a course file to Lectra in one tap with the Scope extension.