Ginny Frost 
Google Keep, whether used on the phone or computer,
takes notes.
takes notes.
It’s
that simple.
that simple.
Here’s
how to do it:
how to do it:
Take a note:
- Click on the + sign to make a new note.
- Then type.
- Or
hit the mic on your keyboard (on your phone) and record. - Then do nothing. The
data is added to a card and saved to the cloud. You can retrieve it on any
device.
Make a Check List:
- Press the checkmark in a square to make a new list.
- Hit
enter after each entry to put a box in front of each item. - To cross them off
later, click the box. - When items are finished on the list, Keep only crosses
them out. It does not erase them. You can double-check yourself if you finished
that item. (I never do that…more
than once or twice.)
Create a due date:
- Press the little bell to add a due date to the note or
checklist. - Add both a date and a time like “Doctor apt Monday at 9.” A
little clock will appear in the note. AND it will sync to your Google calendar with
a blue note (on mine, it’s
blue) and a little finger with a string tried around it. (No, not the middle finger!) - FYI: It also has Location available as additional information on the note. It’s
not sophisticated enough to map your destination…yet. Click back from the
Calendar to Keep to see that info. And even then, it’s not readily available.
Add a Pic:
- Press the square with the tiny triangles (mountains)
on it to add a picture above your text—maybe something you snapped and something
you want to look at it over and over (a book, a dress, your kid, Evan Peters, etc.) - Do the usual searching through your phone, laptop, files to find the pick and click
Okay. - You can even draw your own pics! Great for entertaining toddlers. (But
too advanced for the blog today.)
Organizing your data:
- Click and drag them to
change their order on the screen. - Click the palette to color notes to group them.
- Once
in the note, click the three dots in a column for more menu options like Add a Label.
Label notes to group them further.
Removing Notes:
- Click on the box with the down arrow to Archive a note.
Which is wonderful if you’re
like me and hate to throw away anything. Old lists can be archived and
retrieved to bring up that story idea that now sounds awesome after a few
months of not thinking about it or the Christmas list from last year for that
hard-to-buy-for Aunt. - Trash the card entirely by three dots in a column
and hit Delete Note.
Hopefully, this list can get you started using Google Keep.
Next time, I’ll share some ways I use Keep for my writing.