My daughter just bought her first house (though it went on hold several times as the Navy threatened/offered to move her). We wanted a simple way to share a ToDo list that would be available on phones, iPads, and computers, and would auto-update with our ideas. I looked at a variety of options but found something wrong with each of them.
Until I found Google Keep. It is marketed as a note-taking app — which it is — but trades sophisticated note-taking tools (like formatting) for simplicity. It is similar to iPhone Notes, but is more visual, syncs across all devices, and allows collaboration. You can add thoughts by typing or speaking (mobile devices only), as a narrative note or a bullet list, and include images from your collection, your camera roll, or by taking one with the native camera (mobile devices only). The title is auto-formatted to stand out from the rest of the note. You can organize notes by category or color, search for a particular note, pin the most important to the top, and re-arrange the collection by dragging-dropping. As in Google Reminders, you can set a location-based reminder to pull up your grocery list when you get to the store or a time-based reminder to make sure you never miss a parent conference.
It requires a Google account and — as with other Google Apps — the amount of space you get for saved notes depends upon your Google Drive size. It works on iOS, the web, Chrome (with an add-on), and Android.
Pros
Because Keep doesn’t include a lot of (rarely-used) tools, it is intuitive to learn, simple to use, and really quick to start up. Just tap the icon to open the program, tap to start a new note. That’s it. This is ideal when you want to quickly jot down a phone number or email address, or take a photo. You don’t need to fumble through an armload of start-up functions while whatever you wanted to note down disappears or is lost in your short-term memory. If you’re driving or both hands are busy, simply tap the microphone and talk. Keep records your audio and adds a text version of the message.
One of the most amazing features of Google Keep is that it will pull text from images (such as pictures of pages from a book) into typed text.
For Android users: You can add a drawing to your note and/or draw on an image that you took or is shared with you.
Cons
There are few formatting tools available (all you can do is color the note and add checkboxes) and no audio recording ability in the Web app. While Android users can annotate images, no versions at present allow for PDF annotation.
Writing applications
Many of my colleagues consider Google Keep an easy-to-use, easy-to-deploy note-taking option for students. Here are nine suggestions for using it in the classroom:
- Bookmark interesting links. While researching a topic for your next novel, copy-paste the links to a Keep note for reference. Most links show a preview in a list below the link collection so it’s easy to see what’s covered on that site.
- Write notes to yourself. Because it’s easy to take and categorize notes, this is an ideal way to jot down quick notes and reminders like an appointment or phone number.
- Share information with others. Because notes are easily shared, this is great for group projects. Data that can be shared include links, images, screenshots, videos, camera shots (mobile only), and more
- Color-code a note for “WIP” and pin it to the top of the Keep canvas. This makes it quick to add ideas that come to mind anytime and then make sure you blend them into your WIP.
- Set time-based reminder alarms for notes and bookmarks. This alerts you to meetings, group projects, or anything that is based on a due date. It might even be to remind you to take a break from your writing and pet the dog!
- Set a location-based reminder. This reminder goes off based on the GPS location of the user (and their phone) in relation to whatever event you programmed the alert for. For example, you may set a reminder to bring a flier to your book club meeting that is tripped when you leave your home.
***
Overall, Alan Henry over at Lifehacker said it best:
Comparing Google Keep to Evernote is a bit like comparing a screwdriver to your favorite cordless drill. One is a generic, basic tool that can be used in multiple ways, but has its limits. The latter is a tool that can be used in place of the former, has a broader set of use cases, and is admittedly more powerful.
In short: Google Keep is an uncomplicated note-taking tool that allows users to take notes quickly, intuitively, and share them with others without the sometimes confusing mix of optional tools available in Keep’s more robust cousins
–published first on Today’s Author
More on digital notetaking:
How to go Paperless in Your Classroom
5 Programs That Make Digital Notetaking Easy
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the upcoming Born in a Treacherous Time. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
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wish you good
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wellcome and thanks to all
http://khandokermdabdulmatin.wordpress.com
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🙂
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Thanks Jacqui – once I’m up and running here – then I’ll take a serious look at GKeep .. thanks for the info and useful notes … cheers Hilary
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Once I got used to it, I use it every day. It’s so easy to access and syncs flawlessly across all of my devices.
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I will look at it seriously once I’m sorted out here … thanks for the thumbs up … enjoy this coming week … H
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Oddly enough this came up in my calendar in the last day or two … so I will get back once I can concentrate etc … life ain’t easy! Cheers H
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Still struggling to get the right tool for taking down ideas on the fly. Will probably try Keep.
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It works nicely for me. I have it on my phone (and iPad) home screen. One tap brings up where I left off which could be a general notetaking page or notes for a book. I use it a lot more than I thought I would.
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Saw this – thought of you – had to bring it over!!

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Is there anything Google can’t do?
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I can think of a few things–bring coffee to me in the morning. They’re probably working on that, too!
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LOL! Yes. I wouldn’t be shocked if they were.
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I don’t think so!!
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I just RT and FB’d it. This is precious.
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I thought it was a perfect fit!
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I’m such a non-techie. Don’t have a smart phone, But if I did, this would be perfect! Until then, my pen and notebook go everywhere with me 🙂
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You are officially the only person I know without a smartphone. I got one quite reluctantly about a decade ago (I am a tech teacher, after all!), thought I’d never use the Internet, and now find myself Googling everything. Sigh.
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Seems there’s hope for me yet 🙂
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I tend to write my research notes in an exercise book or note pad, I remember details better this way, however I do like the idea of this app to store web links, images and docos. Thanks for the article, Jacqui 😀
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I also remember things–like names–better if I handwrite them. I often do that, just a name, and then go back to my digital stuff.
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Never even knew about this program! Thanks for the primer, Jacqui!
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It’s pretty darn powerful for free–especially the collaborative nature.
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I have been using Google Keep for some time. It is easy less messy and user-friendly. It is good to find a post enumerating its pros and cons.
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Good to hear your experience, Praveen. You sound like you use it the same way I do. Anything more complicated, I end up with Google Sheets or Docs.
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Jacqui, did you read my mind!? 😀😃 The past few days I’ve been getting increasingly frustrated! I’m putting together a post with various sources, pictures etc but Apple notes only allows one to be displayed at a time – so I have to switch between. This looks perfect to show many items at the same time. How brilliant to be able to share amongst family, colleagues if working on the same project! Thank you, tech whiz!! Saved me again! 😀
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I’ve never used Apple notes. I’ll have to check it out. I like that when I add links to my notes (or pictures), they show full-bodied. It makes it much easier to see what’s in my notebook.
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Maybe they should pay you! It really does sound like a handy program. And congratulations to Daughter on her new home! How wonderful for her!
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Buying her first home was a big deal. The Navy doesn’t make that easy with all their threats to move her anywhere in the world. But, she knows that and finally pulled the trigger. I love it, too!
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I have been using Google Keep for a bit. I chose it my app for my cell phone. Super easy and convenient for quick notes and reminders. Love it.
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I use it there, too. It is easy to find, activate, and maneuver. I don’t mind that it’s a rather stripped-down notetaking tool.
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So useful… This app might help lots of writers. The audio option seems great… Love and best wishes, dear Jacqui. ♥️👍
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I like that it can adapt to personal style (with the audio function). I use this daily.
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The audio recording feature sounds handy. Turning the audio into text – I hate transcribing my own audio notes.
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I like that option too. Very useful.
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You find and share such neat things with us! Thank you for that. 🙂
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I think using this as a shopping list, if nothing else, would be wonderful for you. Diapers, more diapers–well, that’s what I remember about shopping for my babies!
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Haha. Yep, pretty much!
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Thanks so much Jacqui, for bringing this app to our attention. I’m definitely going to check it out. I have OneNote but don’t really use it. I think I’d get more use out of this one. 🙂
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I like OneNote but it’s fairly robust. Sounds good but it makes it slower to activate.
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I downloaded on my phone. Should come in handy for grocery lists. LOL
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That’s how it started for me, but now i use it to take notes on WIP (a separate note for each), a TODO list, and even stuff I want to talk to my kids about!
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Great ideas!!! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out this great post on the topic of Google Keep from the Word Dreams blog.
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Thanks for the reblog, Don.
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You’re welcome.
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I have Google Keep but haven’t dived into setting it up to suit me. I keep using my OneNote.
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If you like OneNote, this may be too simplified for you. Or, it might be perfect!
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Its look like a nice post , and meet you thank you
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Thanks!
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welcome and thank you
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I didn’t realize Google Keep objects were shareable and alarms could be set on notes. I’ll have to try those features out. Although I don’t really need those features, now that I know about them I just might use them. The time-based reminders would save me from opening up the calendar app.
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That was my take on both of those, too. I could share with Google Sheets and use Calendar for alarms, but now both are in one spot!
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This sounds great, Jacqui. I should check it out to see if I’d like it better than my Office One Note.
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I like OneNote but it takes a lot longer to activate than Keep. Often I just want to joy down a note and be done.
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I’ll have to take a look. I’m always having to rewrite notes so my husband and I can be on the same page: where we have to be, when. He refuses to use a Google Calendar, so I can’t link up our calendars easily.
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This should work well. If you have a Google account, you have Keep. Just be logged into Google (say, your Gmail), open http://keep.google.com, and you’re on. Create the Keep message and share it with your husband’s Gmail. Once it’s shared, it appears on both pages. Pretty cool!
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Thanks for sharing the details of this app, Jacqui. It sounds very useful. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
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Marvelous day, very low key. I got in some quality writing!
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you find all the interesting apps. I’ll have to check this one out.
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It took me a while to get used to it–upgrades helped. It loads fast and syncs between husby and I (for shopping). Love it.
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That looks like a cool app, Jacqui. I use Evernote for organizing useful writing links, but that’s all it does. The ability to do that plus make personal notes is great. 🙂 Thanks!
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Evernote is a great program but doesn’t resonate with me. It takes too long to load for one thing. And the stuff I want to take notes on is pretty simple–no need for complexity.
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Didn’t know about this. It looks great. I have to check it out. Thanks for sharing.
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It has made my phone my notetaking device-of-choice. I have a ‘note’ for every topic and scribe as I read, visit, whatever. And sharing is great.
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I’ve been using the notes app and Evernote for ages. But they’re limited. This gives me another option.
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Thanks, Jacqui! I’ll certainly check this out.
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Great for collaborations if you’re doing any more of those, Jill.
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I’m definitely going to check this out. Sounds perfect for all those mental notations I try to carry in my mind but forget about by the time I get to paper and a pen. Thanks!
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It is that. I have it on my phone’s homescreen, click, it opens right away. I can even do it walking the dog!
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I downloaded it. I can already see I’ll use it a lot. Thank you!
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When you really eat lunch and din?
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It’s just husby and I so I eat quickly. I don’t eat out much either!
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Shalom Jacqui
It is a very bad habit to eat quickly. It ruins the digestive system. If you don’t eat much where you get energy from? I eat plenty, work around the clock. make sport, and look like a needle. Have the most wonderful day. In friendship
Amir
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Reblogged this on All About Writing and more.
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Thanks for the reblog!
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