Most AI math solvers want a typed question or a photo. Math Notes works more like scrap paper. You write the problem with a mouse, finger or stylus, finish it with "=", press Generate Output, and the answer is written onto the canvas right where your equals sign ends.
It is quick for arithmetic, fractions, powers and roots, and anything else with a single number for an answer. It does not show working, and it is weak at algebra and word problems. If you need steps, there's a better tool in the same account, covered near the end of this page.
How to use the AI math solver
Solve a handwritten problem in Math Notes
- 1
Write the problem
Open Math Notes and write on the canvas. Pick a colour, a thickness and the size the answer should be written in. The canvas is larger than the screen, so the arrow buttons move you to clear space.
- 2
End it with an equals sign
Leave nothing to the right of the "=". That empty space is how Math Notes knows which problem to answer. Anything that already has a result after its equals sign is skipped.
- 3
Press Generate Output
The canvas is sent as an image to a Google Gemini vision model, which is told to reply with the answer as numbers only. Each answer costs 10 credits.
- 4
Read and check the answer
The result is written in a handwriting-style font beside the last thing you drew. If the model couldn't read the page, you'll see "No description found" instead; rewrite the problem larger and try again.
A worked example
Write 48 × 25 ÷ 4 + 3² = and press Generate Output. The answer that should appear is 309. Math Notes won't tell you how it got there, so here is the working, which is also how you would check it by hand.
| Step | Rule | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Powers first | 3² = 3 × 3 | 9 |
| 2 | Multiply and divide, left to right | 48 × 25 | 1,200 |
| 3 | Keep going left to right | 1,200 ÷ 4 | 300 |
| 4 | Add last | 300 + 9 | 309 |
If Math Notes shows something else, look at how your handwriting could be misread before blaming the arithmetic. A small superscript 2 that drifts down to the line turns 3² into 32, and the answer becomes 332. A multiplication sign drawn like the letter x can be read as a variable.
Problems it handles well, and badly
| Fit | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic and order of operations | Good | One number, nothing to explain |
| Fractions, decimals, percentages | Good | The answer may come back as a decimal |
| Powers and square roots | Good | Write exponents clearly raised |
| Solve for x, like 2x + 7 = 19 | Poor | Already has a right-hand side, so it may be skipped |
| Simplify or factor an expression | Poor | The answer is algebra, and it replies in numbers only |
| Word problems | Poor | Hard to fit on a canvas, and no explanation comes back |
| Proofs, graphs, geometry diagrams | ✕ | Outside what it is built for |
Based on the instructions Math Notes sends to the model: answer only unanswered expressions, in numbers, never words.
How to check your own work with it
Because Math Notes skips anything that already has an answer, you can't write your finished line and ask it to mark it. Do it the other way round: write the original problem with nothing after the equals sign, generate, and compare its number with yours. If they disagree, rework yours step by step. The AI can misread handwriting, so a mismatch is a reason to look again, not proof that you are wrong.
Handwriting that reads cleanly
- Write large, with a little space between each symbol
- Use × or a raised dot for multiplication, not a letter x
- Draw fraction bars long and level, with the numbers well clear of them
- Raise exponents clearly above the line
- Answer one problem at a time; erase or move away from older unanswered lines first
Need the steps? Use AI Chat
For working, explanations or algebra, type the problem into AI Chat in the same account. Ask it to show each step on its own line and to check its answer by substituting it back. Treat the result like a classmate's notes: usually right, worth checking. For a handwritten question that needs a reply in words rather than a number, Handwriting Notes uses the same canvas idea.
Solve this step by step: [your problem] Put each step on its own line and say which rule you used. Then check the answer by substituting it back into the original. If the question is ambiguous, tell me before solving.
Swap in your own problem. For algebra, write powers as x^2 if you can't type a superscript.
Math Notes is one of the tools in an AI4Chat account, alongside writing, image and voice tools.
Questions people ask
Does Math Notes show the steps?
No. It returns the answer only, as a number. For step-by-step working, type the problem into AI Chat and ask for each step.
Can I take a photo of a math problem?
There is an Import button, but imported pictures are shrunk to 100 pixels wide on the canvas, which is too small to read most printed problems. Copying the problem out by hand works better, or type it into AI Chat.
Is the AI math solver free?
Each answer costs 10 credits, and a free account starts with a single image credit, so in practice no. The 7-day free trial of the Unlimited plan covers it; after the trial, the price for your country is shown before you pay.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The canvas takes touch input, so you can write with a finger or a stylus.
Can I save my notes?
Export saves the canvas as a PNG, with or without a background. Keep the export as a record; importing it again shrinks it to a thumbnail.