I never thought I’d ditch Samsung Notes, but this Google Keep feature changed my mind

I never thought I’d say this, but Google Keep has something Samsung Notes doesn’t, and I don’t see Samsung matching it anytime soon. Yes, Gemini has made its way into Keep, and while I’m not a fan of it showing up in every single Google app (looking at you, Messages and YouTube), I’ve genuinely grown to like it inside Keep. So much so that it made me ditch Samsung Notes, an app that had been untouchable in my book for years.

Samsung Notes has a lot going for it

Ever since I switched to a Galaxy phone, Samsung Notes has been my go-to note-taking app. And anyone who’s used it can understand why — the thing is stacked.

What initially drew me in was just how easy it is to create a note. When my phone is locked, I can simply pull out the S Pen and start writing or drawing. It’ll even convert my handwriting into text if I need it. And if my phone’s already unlocked, Edge Panels lets me spin up a new note from literally any screen. That frictionless note-taking is what I love the most about Samsung Notes. When an idea hits, it’s easy to jot it down.

The S Pen also comes in handy inside Samsung Notes, especially with PDFs. Unlike Keep, Samsung Notes can handle PDFs directly, so I can scribble notes, add shapes, highlight key passages, and do basic annotation. There’s even Galaxy AI for translating or summarizing the document with a tap.

And all these AI features work with regular notes too. If I have a long note, I can ask AI to format it with bullet points and paragraphs so it’s easier to read. The summarize option is great for condensing a long lecture or meeting note into something scannable. All of that together was enough to keep me hooked to Samsung Notes.

Gemini turns Keep into a different app

I’ve always admired Google Keep, but I never considered it my go-to note-taking app — for all the reasons above. Then Google added Gemini to Keep, and that one change was enough to sway me.

Mind you, Gemini and Keep weren’t total strangers before this. You could already ask Gemini to create, fetch, or delete Keep notes, but only through the standalone Gemini app. Now Google has baked Gemini directly into Keep itself, which means you don’t have to bounce between two apps.

One of my favorite Keep features now is the ability to build a list from scratch with Gemini. It’s available to all Pixel users and anyone on a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan. Instead of staring at a blank page, I can tap the “Help me create a list” button and type what I need.

I can ask it to put together a grocery list for pasta for two, and it delivers. I can ask it to make a watchlist of the best sci-fi shows to watch this weekend or products for cleaning a bike — it can handle that too. It also shows a preview of the note so I can check the response before actually adding it to the note.

For the notes I’ve already created manually, Gemini can suggest a title. I simply have to tap a button, and it generates something based on the content. This obviously isn’t a big time-saver as the list feature, but it’s still nice to have it.

Gemini Live makes typing notes feel ancient

Creating lists with prompts is handy, but what’s even more fun is using Gemini Live inside Keep. It’s essentially a voice chat with Gemini, and it lets me talk my way into a note without typing anything. This has been a game-changer for me because I barely create notes the old-fashioned way anymore. The Live icon appears right on Keep’s home screen, above the usual “new note” button, so I just have to tap it and ramble through whatever’s on my mind.

For instance, if I need a list of documents required for my child’s passport application, I can ask Gemini out loud, and it puts together a relevant checklist. It genuinely feels like talking to an assistant. If I’m heading to a 3-day tech conference in New York, I can ask Gemini to create a packing list of gadgets I need — chargers, adapters, a power bank — and it builds a clean checklist on the spot. From there, I can ask it to remove items I don’t need or even split the list into separate notes — say, one for phone accessories and one for laptop accessories. I can then ask for a separate note on places to visit in New York, and it handles that too. Once the note is created, I can preview it and save it.

The big convenience here is that I’m not Googling things manually and then typing them into Keep myself. My rambling instructions paired with Gemini Live are enough. This feature also requires Gemini AI Plus, Pro, or Ultra subscription, so it’s not exactly free — which sadly is the case for most AI features on Android these days.

It’s not that Keep is suddenly more feature-packed than Samsung Notes, but the Gemini integration is a big deal. If you don’t want to ditch Samsung Notes, I don’t blame you — it’s still great. Here’s my tip, though: connect Samsung Notes to Gemini, and you’ll be able to create, summarize, and search your notes from the Gemini app. Of course, it’s not the same as having Gemini built directly into the note-taking app, as with Keep, but it works and is definitely worth a shot.