The end of Rocketbook?

January 11, 2026 - Reading time: 6 minutes

How do you like to take notes? Do you prefer using an electronic device like an iPad with an Apple Pencil? Or perhaps you have one of those lovely Remarkable notebooks? Or do you still enjoy the classic way with paper and pen?

 

I mostly use my laptop or phone for everything. I like Apple Notes and DevonThink, but I also love jotting things down quickly with pen and paper.

 

I discovered Rocketbook, the reusable notebook, and decided to give it a shot back in December 2025. I picked up the Fusion legal-sized notebook and a three-pack of Pilot Frixon pens from my local stationery shop—they come in black, blue and red. Very handy! I used the Rocketbook app, which was alright. What really stood out was how well it transcribed my handwriting. My handwriting isn’t perfect, but it got it right about 95% of the time, which was enough to copy the transcribed text into a document I needed to share.

 

Then came the disappointing news that BIC, the company behind the Rocketbook name and IP, was pulling out of support. It’s a shame. Yes, the app will be supported for another year, but what happens then? The books are now available at huge discounts.

 

So, what should I do?

 

Electronic note-taking devices are generally quite good, but what if something goes wrong with the device? You’d have to get it fixed, which can be expensive. What if the battery dies? You’d have to replace it, which isn’t great for the environment either. What if it gets stolen? (How’s your backup working? Is the device locked? Anything private?)

 

The reusable Rocketbook notebook. You can scratch out your notes, take a photo, wipe it clean and start fresh. That’s a pretty good idea. The books are cheap, especially now. You can get the Frixon pens at any stationery shop, well, almost. It’s good for the environment because I only need one book, no batteries or charging to worry about, and no repairs.

 

And what about transcribing my notes? The Rocketbook app was the best in all the tests I did for transcribing my handwriting. I tried the following:

 

CamScanner - Didn’t quite get my notes right.

Adobe Scan - Needs a monthly subscription to transcribe.

Google Lens - Didn’t work for me.

Google Drive - Needed Google Docs, but it just wouldn’t cooperate.

Nextcloud Scan - Gave a good preview, but saving it as the preview was a bit tricky.

Pen to Print - pricey if you didn’t transcribe often.

 

None of these options was perfect, and some features required a subscription. Instead, I took a photo of my notes and uploaded it to an AI chatbot like ChatGPT or CoPilot, asking it to transcribe. It was almost spot on, and with ChatGPT, I even got a summary of the notes! It was fantastic. Sure, you might need to pay the chatbot a monthly fee (on ChatGPT, I used four image uploads before my free quota expired for the day), but if you upload lots of images, the bot can do much more than just transcribe your notes.

 

I’m not saying I don’t love electronic note-taking. I use Apple Notes and DevonThink every day at work and in my personal time, but sometimes I prefer writing and being able to jot down notes during meetings instead of typing like a court stenographer. But the reusable notebook is definitely a winner. It’s affordable and good for the environment; what’s not to like?

 

So, if you’re a Rocketbook user and a bit bummed about BIC’s withdrawal, don’t worry! Buy the books—they’re so cheap now. But maybe grab some Pilot Frixon pens from your local stationery shop. Use the Rocketbook app until it’s no longer available, or someone takes over, or just take a photo of your notes, use a chatbot to transcribe them and then copy and paste them wherever you need.

 

 

Is it really the end of the Rocketbook?