Skip to main content

You can now draw notes and doodle in Google Keep for Android

google keep automatic categorization drawing feature on galaxy s6
Digital Trends / Robert Nazarian
Google Keep just got a lot better today with a new drawing feature. You can now draw a note to yourself because sometimes it’s easier to jot something down rather than type it.

You can use your finger, or you can use a stylus if your phone is equipped with one. You can even draw over existing images, which is perfect if you need to draw an arrow or circle something important in a photo. Or as Google’s GIF below points out, you can make a note of pumpkin carving ideas.

Once you receive the app’s update (version 3.2.435), you will notice a pen icon at the bottom of the screen. Tapping on that opens a new note in which you can draw whatever your heart desires. There are three different pens representing three different thickness levels, an eraser, and a selection tool. Long pressing on each pen gives you a decent selection of colors, and the selection tool makes it easy to drag part of your drawing or note to another area.

Recommended Videos

The accompanying widgets have also been updated. The pen icon has been added to the 1×3 widget so that you can open a new drawing note right away. You will also notice the appearance of the pen icon when tapping on the plus icon in the larger 2×3 widget.

The other cool thing is that your drawn notes sync across all your devices the same way regular notes do. They are also fully collaborative, which means that anyone you share notes with can also add drawings. This means you can literally play a game of Pictionary with someone, or a simple game of tic-tac-toe. This probably wasn’t Google’s intention, but it’s just another cool way to use this new feature.

The update is rolling out now in Google Play, so it might take a few days before you get it.

Robert Nazarian
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
You can now preorder the OnePlus Pad for $99 … kind of
The back of the OnePlus Pad tablet.

Fans who are excited to finally be getting their hands on the OnePlus Pad are now able to preorder the tablet ... sort of.

Preorders for the OnePlus Pad went live today. However, it's not a preorder in the traditional sense where someone would pay full price for an item upfront and then receive it when it launches for no extra charge. Instead, fans are able to put down a $99 down payment to reserve their spot in "line" for the tablet when it releases later this year.

Read more
Check your inbox — Google may have invited you to use Bard, its ChatGPT rival
ChatGPT versus Google on smartphones.

AI chatbots have been the subject of much public fascination as of late, with the likes of ChatGPT continuously making headlines. But now, Google is finally getting in on the trend by soft-launching Bard for select Pixel users.

Bard is Google's AI chatbot that was previously unavailable to the public, but according to a report from 9to5Google, the company is inviting some of its most loyal and dedicated customers to give it a try.

Read more
You can now try the OnePlus 11 for free for 100 days — here’s how
Someone holding the OnePlus 11.

Buying a new smartphone is always a gamble in terms of customer satisfaction — mainly because they cost so much and can be so different from the device that the buyer is currently using.

To combat this, OnePlus is giving customers the chance to try the OnePlus 11 entirely risk-free. Starting today, the company is running the "100 Days No Regret" program, which allows OnePlus 11 buyers to use the new flagship for up to 100 days and still be eligible to return it for a full refund.

Read more