I actually need to improve my mind’s inner storage.I’m solely partially kidding: Just like a tough drive, I’m fairly certain my thoughts reached most capability sooner or later prior to now decade. The solely manner I can bear in mind something as of late is by making and sustaining 1,000,000 notes, each bodily and digital. (My spouse can verify this: “I told you that a week ago” is an all-too-common phrase ‘spherical these components.)I’m nonetheless ready for Western Digital to start out promoting SSD implants for the noggin, however within the meantime, Google Keep has turn out to be my repository for notes of the non-sticky selection. I prefer it as a result of it is easy to make use of and but filled with options that make my life simpler on each knowledgeable and a private stage.Plus, it really works as nicely on any desktop laptop because it does on an Android cellphone — and you may seamlessly transfer from one gadget to the following and know all of your notes will all the time be synced, present, and out there wherever you want ’em.If you, too, depend on Google Keep to complement your grey matter, take a look at these sensible tricks to be sure you’re tapping into all of the methods its Android app can act as your reminiscence extension. I hope it goes with out saying, however be at liberty to jot down notes alongside the best way.(A fast aspect observe, by the best way: My editor, who makes use of an iPhone (gasp!), says all the following tips work just about the identical within the Keep app for iOS. Just a few menu selections are barely completely different, but it surely must be straightforward sufficient to determine issues out when you or anybody prefers that fashion of gadget.) Part I: Organization1. Label your self organizedJust like Gmail, Keep depends on labels moderately than folders or notebooks to make your memos manageable. You can add a label to a observe by tapping the three-dot menu icon within the lower-right nook of the app’s enhancing display and choosing “Labels” — or by touching and holding a observe in the primary listing view after which tapping the label icon within the upper-right nook of that display. (You can choose a number of notes directly, too: Just contact and maintain any observe till it turns into outlined, then faucet every other notes so as to add them into the combo.)Faster but, you possibly can really sort a label straight right into a observe by prefacing it with a hashtag — “#Personal,” “#Web Projects,” or “#Business Ideas,” for instance. Keep will even pop up solutions for current labels as quickly as you begin typing, and as soon as you’ve got chosen the label you need, you possibly can both go away your hashtag textual content within the observe or erase it. JR Raphael / IDG
The Keep app will recommend labels as quickly as you sort a hashtag — and as soon as you’ve got chosen a label, you will see it beneath your textual content.
2. Get colourfulIn addition to labels, Keep helps you to arrange notes by coloration. Maybe your whole work-related notes are inexperienced and your private notes are blue — or perhaps pressing notes are crimson whereas all others are grey. You can give you any variety of techniques to make the colours helpful both on their very own or at the side of the common textual content labels.Or perhaps you actually wish to get wild and go together with a daring patterned background for a selected observe, even. Keep just lately added the power to set note-specific wallpapers along with easy single coloration splashes, so you’ve got obtained loads of selections to select from.Whatever your fancy, you possibly can change a observe’s look by tapping the palette icon within the lower-left nook of the enhancing display after which touching no matter coloration or background you wish to apply. From the primary listing view, you may also choose any observe (or mixture of notes) after which faucet the palette icon within the upper-right space of that display.3. Put a pin in itKeep your most vital notes simply accessible by embracing Keep’s pin perform: Just faucet the pushpin icon within the upper-right nook whereas enhancing a observe or after choosing it in your most important observe listing. That observe will then seem in a particular “Pinned” part above all of your different notes so it is by no means out of attain. (To unpin a observe at any time, simply faucet its pushpin icon once more.) 4. Archive aggressivelyWhen a observe now not wants your rapid consideration, get it out of your most important observe listing by swiping it towards the left or the fitting from that view — or by tapping the archive icon (a folder with a down-pointing arrow on it) within the upper-right nook whilst you’re enhancing it. Whichever manner you do it, that’ll archive the observe — and identical to in Gmail, it will then stay simply accessible through search or looking however will not command prime actual property and litter up your “inbox.”5. Search like a proSpeaking of search, Keep’s search perform can do much more than simply search for fundamental textual content. Tap the search field on the high of the app’s most important display after which scroll down a bit. Among different issues, you will see instruments for filtering your notes to indicate solely these with reminders, lists, photos, or URLs connected in addition to solely notes assigned to a selected coloration or label. JR Raphael / IDG
Keep’s search perform has ample choices for filtering your notes that can assist you discover what you want.
You can even flick through your notes by label by tapping the three-line menu icon within the app’s upper-left nook after which choosing whichever label you wish to view.6. Check the trashMake a psychological observe: If you ever cannot discover a current observe, take a peek in Keep’s Trash part to see if it may need gotten deleted accidentally. Just faucet the three-line menu icon within the app’s upper-left nook after which choose Trash from the panel that seems. That’ll allow you to see each deleted observe from the previous seven days and optionally restore any merchandise into lively standing, when you’re so inclined. You can even empty your trash manually whilst you’re there, in case you ever delete one thing delicate and wish to be sure it is fully gone.7. Remember to set remindersOne of Keep’s strongest options is its exceptionally sturdy note-specific reminder system. When you have to bear in mind to take a look at a observe at a selected time and even place — like your property, your workplace, an airport, or the grocery — simply faucet the bell icon within the upper-right nook of the note-editing display.That’ll can help you set no matter situation you need for when the observe ought to pop up as a notification in your cellphone. Reminders you create in Keep now not seem in Google Calendar or different exterior apps and companies, however you’re going to get a notification in your cellphone each time the time arrives otherwise you’ve set foot within the acceptable location. And that provides the app an added layer of oomph on the subject of reminiscence and group.8. Find your remindersCan’t bear in mind what reminders you may have pending? What a predicament! The easy resolution: Tap the three-line menu icon in Keep’s upper-left nook and choose “Reminders.” There, you will see a listing of each observe to which you’ve got connected a reminder and precisely when or the place it is set to warn you. You’ll additionally see notes for which reminders had been already despatched however by no means marked as “done.”Part II: Note-taking9. Collect your spoken ideasTake a observe on the go by talking it into Keep and letting the app transcribe your phrases. You can begin recording in one among 3 ways: faucet the microphone icon in Keep’s backside toolbar, faucet the plus icon within the lower-left nook after which choose “Recording” whereas enhancing a observe, or faucet the microphone icon in Keep’s residence display widget. Then, simply yammer away. When you are completed, Keep will place its transcription within the physique of the observe and likewise connect an audio recording of your voice for good measure (and/or mortification — sure, that basically is what you sound like). JR Raphael / IDG
When you document a voice memo, Keep offers you each a transcription and an audio recording of your phrases.
10. Embrace Keep’s image-saving smartsGot a doc or different visible you wish to dangle onto for future reference? While enhancing a observe, faucet the plus icon within the lower-left nook of the display and choose “Take photo.” You can then snap a fast picture to connect to the observe. If you’d moderately use an current picture out of your cellphone’s gallery, choose “Add image” as a substitute.Either manner, what’s particularly helpful is the truth that Keep can seize phrases out of the picture and switch them into common textual content — and you may then seek for these phrases to search out the data later. To make that occur, simply faucet on a picture inside any observe, then faucet the three-dot menu icon within the lower-right nook of the display and choose “Grab image text” from the menu that seems. You can even edit, spotlight, or draw on a picture by choosing the paintbrush icon within the upper-right nook of the display, on to the left of the primary menu icon.11. Transform your scribbles into phrasesIf you ever have a visible thought you wish to jot down, contact the paintbrush icon in Keep’s toolbar or widget (or when you’re already enhancing a observe, faucet the plus icon after which choose “Drawing”). You can sketch or write away in your display — with a stylus and even simply your finger — after which retailer your outcome together with every other observe parts.The coolest half: Just like with the camera-captured photos, you possibly can have Keep seize any phrases out of your drawing after which flip them into searchable and copy-ready textual content. Select the drawing, then look in that very same three-dot menu icon within the upper-right nook of the display to search out the command.12. Fine-tune your textWhether you’ve got entered phrases by speaking, drawing, or good old school typing, Keep now helps you to modify their formatting to make them stand out in all the fitting methods.Tap the underlined “A” icon within the lower-left nook of any observe you’ve got obtained open, and you may see a collection of straightforward selections for turning textual content into an H1 or H2 header or making use of daring, italics, or underlining wherever you want.And an additional little nugget of information: In addition to Keep’s formal textual content formatting choices, you possibly can create a bulleted listing by typing an asterisk after which an area initially of any line inside a observe you are enhancing.13. Turn any observe into a listingYou in all probability know you can begin a brand new listing by tapping the checkmark icon in Keep’s toolbar or widget — however do you know you may also convert any current observe into a listing with a pair fast faucets?While enhancing a observe, contact the plus icon within the lower-left nook of the display after which faucet “Checkboxes.” Keep will add a checkbox to the beginning of each new line, and you may then achieve the geeky satisfaction of checking gadgets off as you full them.14. Copy notes as neededEver want you might deal with a observe as a template or start line and work on it with out affecting your authentic copy? Keep has an simply missed possibility for doing simply that: Open a observe, then faucet the three-dot menu icon within the lower-right nook and choose “Make a copy.” You’ll then be taken to a precise reproduction of the observe whereas your authentic model stays untouched.15. Undo when you have toFor far too lengthy, Keep lacked probably the most treasured instructions of any textual content editor: the sacred “Undo” button. Thankfully, that is now not the case: The subsequent time you by accident delete a whole part of textual content or make every other ill-advised modifications, search for the arrow that circles round to the left within the bottom-center space of the display. Once you’ve got undone one thing, you will additionally see an arrow that circles round to the fitting; that one can redo what you undid as wanted.Part III: Customization16. Find your favourite viewKeep could present your notes in a number of columns by default, however you do not have to maintain it that manner. See that icon with two thick horizontal strains towards the highest of the app’s search bar? Tap it, and the app will change from its customary multicolumn view (a.ok.a. Grid View) right into a much less dense single-column configuration (List View). JR Raphael / IDG
Keep’s multicolumn view, at left, and single-column view, at proper.
17. Take a shortcutKeep’s widget is not your solely possibility for preserving time-saving note-taking capabilities on your property display. The app additionally has some useful hidden shortcuts that’ll allow you to leap on to a few of its mostly used capabilities.To discover them, press and maintain your finger to the Keep icon (both on your property display or in your app drawer). That’ll pop up a collection of shortcuts for creating a brand new textual content observe, audio observe, picture observe, or listing observe. And a bonus tip: In addition to accessing them there, you possibly can press and maintain any of these shortcuts after which drag ’em onto your property display for even simpler one-tap entry.18. Give your eyes a break at eveningIf you are working in a dim surroundings, observe that Keep will routinely match your gadget’s Dark Theme setting, supplied that you simply’re utilizing 2020’s Android 10 or larger (and when you aren’t — nicely, pal, you’ve got obtained larger issues). But whether or not you are in some way utilizing an older Android model than that otherwise you simply need Keep to remain darker with out the remainder of your cellphone being affected, take a peek within the app’s settings.There, you will see an possibility referred to as “Theme.” And it doesn’t matter what sort of gadget you are utilizing, you possibly can modify it in order that Keep will all the time default to a darker motif for much less glary viewing.19. Eliminate pointless partsWhenever you embody URLs in a observe, Keep sometimes tacks a collection of preview containers onto the observe’s backside edge with hyperlinks to these web sites. Those containers generally is a handy option to get to your hyperlinks shortly, however they’ll additionally create quite a lot of pointless litter each throughout the notes and in your most important observe listing — and particularly when you have a tendency to incorporate plenty of URLs in your memos, they’ll shortly get uncontrolled.If, like me, you discover these containers to be extra distracting than helpful, faucet Keep’s three-line menu icon within the upper-left nook, choose “Settings,” and deactivate the toggle subsequent to “Display rich link previews.” Your observe listing will look meaningfully neater because of this.20. Take management of Keep’s listing behaviorsBy default, Keep provides new gadgets to the top of a listing and sends checked-off gadgets to the underside of a observe, beneath the entire lively gadgets. But guess what? You can change both of these behaviors: Just faucet Keep’s three-line menu icon, choose Settings, after which deactivate the toggles subsequent to “Add new items to bottom” and/or “Move checked items to bottom.” That’ll trigger new gadgets and checked-off gadgets, respectively, to indicate up on the high of a listing as a substitute of the underside.21. Customize Keep’s reminder instancesWhen you set a brand new observe reminder, Keep affords a collection of one-tap presets — however the app’s default settings for morning, afternoon, and night may not be best for you. You can customise these instances to fit your personal schedule by tapping the app’s three-line menu icon, choosing “Settings,” after which adjusting the instances for every daypart beneath the “Reminder Defaults” heading. Just observe that the instances you set in Keep may also carry over to Gmail and be used for the default snooze instances there.Part IV: Collaboration and integration22. Team up with a colleagueWant to brainstorm concepts or deal with a to-do listing with a co-worker? Or perhaps even keep an evolving buying listing together with your important different — one that you simply each can replace anytime, wherever? Easy peasy: Open up a observe, then faucet the three-dot menu icon within the lower-right nook and choose “Collaborator.” Start typing the individual’s identify or Gmail handle, and Keep will present you a listing of solutions out of your contacts as you sort; you possibly can both faucet one among its solutions or proceed getting into an e mail handle manually. And if you wish to add extra collaborators past that, simply preserve getting into names or Gmail addresses as wanted.Once your note-making companions are related, you will all be capable of edit the observe by yourself respective units — whether or not they’re Android, iOS, or any desktop platform — and you may all see any modifications and additions as they’re made.23. Switch accounts with easeIf you utilize a number of Google accounts — like one for work and one for private functions — Keep makes it tremendous easy to change between completely different personalities from proper throughout the app. Tap the round profile icon within the app’s upper-right nook (the one which reveals both your private profile picture or the primary letter of your identify), and you’ll toggle to every other account related together with your cellphone. You may even add a brand new account onto your cellphone from that very same spot, if you have to.For an excellent faster account-switching shortcut, swipe your finger up or down on the profile icon as a substitute of tapping it. That’ll cycle you thru all of the accounts related together with your cellphone in ahead or backward order.24. Let different apps feed KeepDon’t neglect that you could share stuff from every other app in your cellphone straight into your Keep notes — whether or not it is a net URL, a photograph, a screenshot, or perhaps a snippet of highlighted textual content. Just search for the “Share” command or icon wherever you’re after which choose Keep from the listing of selections. The content material you are viewing will beam proper into a brand new observe on your viewing and discovering pleasure. JR Raphael / IDG
Select textual content wherever in Android, then faucet “Share” and choose Google Keep — and it can save you that textual content into a brand new observe proper then and there.
25. Don’t be afraid to name in a DocLet’s face it: While Keep excels in plenty of fundamental note-taking areas, the app positively has its limits. Once a observe turns into extra of a doc — with tons of textual content and the necessity for superior enhancing instruments — Keep in all probability is not the place you wish to be working.Luckily, there’s a wonderful manner round that: When a observe exceeds Keep’s capabilities, simply faucet the three-dot menu icon within the lower-right nook of the enhancing display, choose “Send,” after which choose “Copy to Google Docs.” That’ll dump your whole observe into a brand new Docs doc, the place you possibly can edit away to your coronary heart’s content material.If Docs is not your cup of tea, you should use the “Send via other apps” possibility in that very same menu to ship the complete textual content of your observe into every other app that may deal with it — whether or not it is one other Android phrase processor, an e mail or texting app, or a collaboration device like Trello or Slack.26. Access Keep from different Google appsWhen you are engaged on a pc and wishing you might entry all these sensible ideas you collected in your Android cellphone, fake a tiny genie popped up and granted your want — as a result of right here it’s: You can really get to your Keep notes from the desktop variations of Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs. And every part you saved out of your cellphone shall be proper there and ready.Just search for the fitting aspect panel in any of these apps — or if the panel is not seen, search for a small white tab with a left-facing arrow within the lower-right nook of the display. Once the panel’s open, you possibly can click on the Keep icon inside it and consider, search, and even edit your notes in that exact same browser tab.In Docs, any new notes you are taking will routinely include a hyperlink to the doc you had been engaged on on the time. And maybe most helpful of all: From the Keep panel, you possibly can click on the three-dot menu icon inside any observe to repeat its whole contents straight into your doc.With capabilities like these, who wants inner mind storage, anyway?This article was initially printed in May 2016 and most just lately up to date in March 2024.
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