Google's note-taking app Keep is dead on Apple Watch

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in Apple Watch

Google just pulled its note-taking app Keep from Apple Watch, extending a long and storied history of Google killing off products.

A smartwatch displays a yellow document icon with a white lightbulb inside, set against a matching yellow background.
Google just pulled its note-taking app Keep



Alphabet Inc.'s Google pulled its Keep note-taking app from Apple Watch with an update on June 30, 2025. The move leaves users without a Google-backed way to take notes on the wrist.

Keep launched for watchOS in 2019 but never got much attention. It lacked watch face complications and other core features. Over time, it fell behind.

Meanwhile, Apple is getting ready to launch its own Notes app for Apple Watch with watchOS 26, offering a built-in alternative that works smoothly with iOS.

Why Google removed Keep



Google is careful about which of its apps stay on Apple Watch. Maps and YouTube Music remain because they support advertising or subscription revenue.

Keep is different. It's a free utility with no clear way to make money. Without an obvious return, Google chose not to maintain it on a rival's platform.

For users, that means no more quick note access on the watch using Google's ecosystem. Those who want notes on the wrist will need to turn to Apple's Notes app, Microsoft OneNote, Bear, or Drafts.

Google's habit of shutting down products



Google is well known for retiring products that lose priority. The independent tracker Killed by Google lists more than 200 products and services that have been shut down so far.

Recent examples include Google Podcasts, which closed in 2024 after pushing listeners to YouTube Music. Jamboard also ended in 2024, with its tools folded into Meet. Stadia shut down in early 2023 after failing to win enough players.

Users are obviously unhappy when Google drops services without warning. The company says these choices help focus resources or reduce overlap. But it has left many hesitant to rely on new Google products long term.

What it means for Apple Watch users



People who used Keep on their watch now need to find a new plan. Apple's Notes app is coming with watchOS 26 and will work better on Apple's platform anyway.

But those trying to stay within Google's ecosystem will have to settle for using Keep only on the phone.

For anyone who relies on Google services, it's another reminder that support can vanish at any time. That includes apps that once seemed like staples.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    jfreedle2jfreedle2 Posts: 33member
    No surprise, if Google cannot sell your information they are not interested in providing the service. There are better tools than what Google provides anyway.
    dav
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 8
    williamlondonwilliamlondon Posts: 1,545member
    So it wasn’t as big a “private details” vacuum as they’d hoped/expected, par for the course with Google.
    dav
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 8
    MplsPmplsp Posts: 4,177member
    Don’t disagree with the above comments, however it was a free app, and if the app is free then who’s the product?
    williamlondonmuthuk_vanalingam
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 8
    williamlondonwilliamlondon Posts: 1,545member
    MplsP said:
    Don’t disagree with the above comments, however it was a free app, and if the app is free then who’s the product?
    It’s amazing 1) how many people don’t understand that principle, and 2) how many people do and don’t care and still use those services.
    muthuk_vanalingam
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 8
    michelb76michelb76 Posts: 767member
    Makes sense. There are many Watch apps/components that are useless or unusable on the watch. I'd say many more apps could be removed since they don't add much, if anything, to the watch. Why waste any time on this?
    muthuk_vanalingamwilliamlondon
     1Like 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 8
    profprof Posts: 121member
    If Google is or gets involved, I get the hell out of there. So many products I used in the past have received the kiss of death by Google, it's not funny anymore. I'm happy e.g. Pebble was able to be reanimated but using Google for anything is really a guaranteed recipe for receiving self-inflicted damage down the line.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 8
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,168member
    MplsP said:
    Don’t disagree with the above comments, however it was a free app, and if the app is free then who’s the product?
    “If it’s free, then you’re the product.”
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 8
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,768member
    MplsP said:
    Don’t disagree with the above comments, however it was a free app, and if the app is free then who’s the product?
    It’s amazing 1) how many people don’t understand that principle, and 2) how many people do and don’t care and still use those services.
    It's not that simple, though you wish it were.

    Google Keep emphasizes user privacy by keeping your saved content private by default. It is not a toggle you need to turn on, or something that requires opt-out. You have control over what is yours, chose to share it or not, and with who if you do. Google does not access your private content unless you request permission be granted for specific reasons pertinent to you. Your data is stored securely in Google's data centers and is encrypted both in transit and at rest. 

    Much of what Google does is primarily intended as lock-in, much the same as Apple does. An example might be Google Keep. The more you can do in-house so to speak, all the better for the two of them. Neither company wants users to wander elsewhere. And for those times when “you (!) are the product”, any personal data still remains safely and securely in Google vaults, not shared with advertisers, or with outside parties*. Of course Google derives significant income from acting as an on-line advertising clearinghouse. Unlike some companies, that does not mean your private data isn't yours anymore. Google's advertising platform places users into segments based on shared characteristics, allowing advertisers to target groups of anonymized users with similar interests or demographics. You aren't being identified by name and address or as a unique person. Guess who else does that?
    :)

    As for Keep, it's hardly abandoned. It just wasn't used very often on Apple watches, as the article alludes to. With the service being replicated by Apple, (are folks here using it on their Apple Watch?) there's no benefit to maintaining it for watchOS. On the Android side, Keep is currently being updated to version 5.25.252.00.90 as I type this. 

    EDIT:
    By the way since I forgot to mention it...
    Google does not use your Keep data for advertising purposes, no matter which platform. 


    *Just as with Apple there are exceptions for legal demands, and for companies operating on Apple/Google's behalf to deliver services you request. 
    edited July 2
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