I’ve mostly stopped using Google Keep for notes. A single .txt document holds my regular to-do list, and now that I have my Index 01, I’ve started taking voice notes instead. However, Google Keep is a reliable backup.
I tend to work on the same document on multiple devices, so I tend to use Google Keep only for specific work-related notes.
I’ve recently discovered that Google Messages is packed with more integrations than I thought, including one that makes it the perfect multitasking tool.
Google Messages’ Keep integration is brilliant
Simple, effective, and accessible
I have a small group chat with two friends, and recently we were planning out an upcoming weekend. Even with only three people, the group chat quickly became a confusing mess of messages and replies.
This has happened before, and I usually solve it by creating a Google Docs document for collaboration. But Docs feels like overkill for simple plans and checklists.
Enter Google Keep. I’ve long known that Keep has collaborative features, but I’ve never felt like it offered anything over Docs. However, Google Messages changed that.
The Google Keep attachment menu now includes a Keep Notes option. Tap it, and a Google Keep panel opens in a window.
Here, you can select an existing note or create a new one. But here’s what makes it special. The note appears as a message attachment, like an image. You can view it without opening it, but tapping the attachment doesn’t open the full app.
Instead, it opens a windowed version of Keep that you can edit as normal. Not all formatting tools are present, but tapping the Keep button in the upper-left corner opens the note in the Keep app.
What makes this integration brilliant is how seamless it is. I can jump between my group chat and note without missing a beat. Updates to the note are instant, so we don’t have to wait for changes to match the conversation.
Google Messages has the best attachments
But it can do more
I use WhatsApp for most of my texting needs, and it offers plenty of attachment options. I can add pictures, location tracking, contacts, documents, polls, and calendar events.
Google Messages also offers scheduled messages and the aforementioned Keep Notes. While the lack of event integration is frustrating, the Google Calendar integration is enough to share plans.
While WhatsApp seems to have close feature parity, the collaboration opportunities created by Google Keep integration make it more than just another attachment.
Often, I need a central place to work on plans to stop group conversations from descending into chaos. If I need to add images, files, or locations, Google Messages makes it easy.
I want Google Messages to integrate more Google apps
The possibilities are endless
Google Keep works so well in Google Messages that I can’t believe it’s the only app Google has built into Messages.
Google Maps’ location tracking is effective, but I want more Maps features. For example, sending a link to a location should show a brief preview that lets others swipe through images and check review overviews.
Google Tasks would also be welcome. Yes, there’s a checklist option in Keep, but having the greater functionality of Tasks’ lists would be ideal for collaborative shopping lists and the like.
Calendar, while sufficient, could be greatly improved. WhatsApp’s events are useful, but they don’t integrate directly with calendar apps.
Nearly every Google app could be useful as a stripped-down Google Messages attachment
I desperately want more in-app collaboration options
I love Google Messages, and features like Keep integration are a big part of the reason
Google Messages is my favorite app to text on, and one I prefer using over all others. Google has rapidly refined the app over the past few years, making it a viable alternative to iMessage and, in the process, creating something great.
I now use Keep in all my conversations. From shopping lists to weekend plans, there’s a way to use it with everyone.
Now I want Google to take the idea further. I hate bouncing between apps when collaborating. Using Android’s split-screen feature helps, but viewing attachments in Messages is better.
Google’s apps are best together
I’ve drifted away from Google Keep in recent months as I struggled to organize my thoughts, notes, and lists in the app. Now that I’ve discovered its Google Messages integration, I’m considering adopting it as my standard app again.
While it doesn’t have the same organizational tools as an app like Bundled Notes, there are still useful tricks anyone can use to organize every type of note in the app