If you’ve used the Google Keep Apple Watch app to check your grocery lists or write down ideas while you’re out and about, you might have noticed that something is missing from your wrist.
Google has officially shut down its Keep app for Apple Watch, leaving many users looking for other options and wondering why the company made this decision.
The Google Keep Apple Watch app, which came out in 2019, was never the most exciting thing on your wrist. It didn’t have any problems, deep integrations, or the newest watchOS features. The app icon itself hadn’t been updated in years, in fact.
But for people who needed quick access to notes on different platforms, like shopping lists or reminders, its simplicity was a good thing, not a bad thing.
Even though it had a simple design, the app’s ability to work with Google Keep on Android, iOS, and Windows devices made it a must-have for people who use more than one digital ecosystem.
You couldn’t change notes on your watch, but being able to see your lists without taking out your phone was a small but useful feature.
Why did Google take down the Google Keep Apple Watch app?
Google’s decision wasn’t entirely unexpected. Since it came out, the app has mostly been ignored, and there haven’t been any big updates or support for new Apple Watch features. This lack of attention suggested that people were losing interest in the platform.
But the timing is interesting. Apple’s announcement that the native Notes app is finally coming to Apple Watch in watchOS 26 coincides with the removal of the Google Keep Apple Watch app.
Users will be able to write and read notes right on their wrist with this new Notes app. Apple Watch owners have been asking for this for years.
Apple is getting better, so Google may have decided that keeping its own app wasn’t worth the time and money anymore, especially since the watchOS version never matched the experience on Wear OS, where Google is still putting money into it.
Google and other big tech companies have stopped supporting Apple Watch apps before. Apps like Google Maps, Amazon, and eBay have also quietly left the platform in the last few years, usually because they weren’t being used much or because their strategic focus changed.
It looks like Google’s top priority is to make sure that its wearable experiences are best on its own ecosystem.
The loss is more than just a bother for a lot of people. The Google Keep app for the Apple Watch let people stay organized no matter what device they were using.
Taking it away is especially hard on people who used it to quickly shop or cross things off their to-do lists.
Longtime users are clearly frustrated because they now have a gap in their workflow. One user said, “I’m not going to pay Evernote just to use it on more than one device, and OneNote doesn’t have a watch app either.”
What are the best options?
Apple Watch users have a few choices now that Google Keep is gone:
- Apple Notes (watchOS 26 and later): The new built-in Notes app will let you make and read notes on your wrist. You can even use Siri to take notes without using your hands. It doesn’t have as many features as the iPhone version, but it does have the basics.
- Third-Party Apps: Free apps like Simplenote let you take notes on different platforms and sync them in real time. You can also add tags and see a list of all your notes. Another option that gets good reviews for its easy-to-use interface and powerful features is Upbase.
- Stick with Google Keep on Other Devices: Google Keep is still available on iPhones, iPads, and Wear OS watches, so you can still see your notes on all of your devices except for the Apple Watch.
Final words
The end of the Google Keep Apple Watch app shows that big tech companies are changing the way they support multiple platforms. For users, it’s a reminder to be open to new tools and stay flexible as the digital world changes.
It’s sad to lose a useful wrist companion, but with Apple Notes and a growing number of third-party options, you can still keep your notes close, even if Google Keep isn’t just a glance away anymore.
