Keep is Google’s own notes and lists app. Google Keep’s feature set is simple, but it offers many features. This guide will walk you through the main features you can use with Google Keep and why it’s become our default note-taking app.
Since Keep is a Google product, you can rest assured that your data will be synced with other Google apps in your account. For example, when you create reminders in the Kepp app, they appear on your Google calendar. From there, you’ll also see it in your Pixel’s At a Glance tool when the time comes.
Because of this, Notes and Lists carry a little more weight because they’re easier to keep track of on your Android device and across your other Google apps. This has made Keep one of our favorite apps for quick notes and lists. In this guide, you’ll find that the app isn’t complicated or overloaded with features, but hits the nail on the head with easy-to-manage notes and personal information.
Notes don’t have to be easy
At the forefront of the various things you can do with Google Keep is nothing other than creating a note. Of course, this note doesn’t have to be just a simple series of sentences. While the Keep app on mobile has a colorful “+” button at the bottom, you’ll also notice four more to the left.
These are categories of notes ranging from a checklist to a photo. You also have the option to use the microphone icon to create a voice memo or draw a quick doodle. These four buttons allow you to start a note with any of these items, although they can always be added later.
The Checklist category is pretty basic and probably the most used in the app. This is great for making simple to-do or item lists. When an item is checked, it moves to the bottom of the list and is checked, allowing you to focus on the unchecked items.
Perhaps the most underrated category is the drawing saved as a note. The brush icon opens a small blank canvas where you can doodle in any way you like. It’s a fun take on a keep-note, although not used as often as others.
If you’re in a hurry, you can create a quick note by clicking the microphone icon. This allows you to record a short clip, which is then transcribed into a text note. You still have the audio recording available to play under the original note, although for some reason the audio sounds muddy and heavily compressed. The audio in the Keep app doesn’t match what you’d see in the Recorder app on Pixel, but it’s still more than useful in certain situations.
Finally, you can create a note with an image by clicking the image icon. This allows you to capture or select an image from your phone or computer and use it to create an image.
Customize and organize your Keep notes
Beyond the basic note-taking features, Google Keep makes it easy to manage and organize your notes according to your preferences. You can do this by setting up a series of labels, each with a different theme. Whenever you create a list, you can assign these labels to your notes by clicking Three point menu below and hit labels.
These labels appear in the note itself and below each one in your preview mode. This way, you can easily see what each note relates to without having to skim through every piece of content you’ve recently created.
In addition, you can search for any label. There will be a label section in the search bar at the top. Beat More to view all your labels and select the category you want. It looks like Keep will limit this section to six notes, so you might have to type the label’s name into the search bar if you don’t see what you’re looking for.
Aside from label creation, you can also set a theme and color for each individual note. Just go to a note, tap the color palette icon and choose a look. You can choose both a color and a design, with the former complementing the artwork. Some themes make text difficult to see, although Keep’s upcoming formatting update should allow users to make the text a little more visible.
Related: Google Keep is preparing to add text formatting and font sizes [U]
Share your notes with others
Keep takes a game out of Google Drive by allowing you to share notes with others. Once shared, they can see a live version of the note and edit it, so any changes made are reflected in each participant.
- Press on a note People Symbol.
- Enter a person’s name or email address.
- Beat Save on computer.
The person(s) you share this note with will receive an email with access to this note. From there, they can make changes and edit them.
Create Google reminders
As mentioned above, Google Keep is capable of taking things like reminders and syncing them to your Google account. So you can see them on your calendar and wherever events are displayed. How to create a reminder in Google Keep.
- Choose an existing note or create a new one.
- Tap the bell icon.
- Choose a preset time or location or choose your own.
When that time comes or you arrive at a specific location, you will be notified of that reminder and the note will be part of that notification. This is a great way to create reminders that are a bit more detailed, as you can add images, checklists, or even links with previews.
Google Keep is a pretty basic tool with a few good features. Because of this, it’s easy to use and a great note-taking app. Going forward, Google plans to roll out more features, although the current app is what we’ll be seeing for a while.
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