You know how we just told you that Inbox was getting a sweet new link storing feature? So is Google Keep. According to a blog post from Google on the Docs Blog, Keep is getting a similarly quick-share option for links both in Chrome (new extension!) and in the Android app. Not only that, but you will now be able to organize with hashtags too.
The new Keep Chrome extension works a lot like the new Inbox extension. Once installed (link below), you tap on a Keep extension shortcut that then launches into a new note with that link attached. From within the new note window, you can add tags, type out additional notes, or trash it all.
On Android, sharing links is as easy as hitting the “Share” button, just like it now is on Inbox. Tap the “Share” button from within an app and you can create a new note with that link without actually leaving the app. Nice, right?
The new Keep lets you quickly organize your notes by using hashtags from within the note to create labels. Instead of applying labels the old fashioned way (create one, then apply it), you can now type out hashtags to help you better organize and then find notes. Typing them will show you a list of already-created tags, but also allow you to create one.
Finally, the Android app has be re-organized a bit to group items together and take them out of the toolbar at the top. You’ll now see buttons on each side of a new bottom navigation bar, with shortcuts on the left for adding images or drawings, along with one on the right for changing labels, colors, collaborators, and deleting.
You can grab the update below through the Play store or sideload it with the included .apk file.
Play Link (APK Link, v3.3.157.0) | Chrome Extension
Give the ability to automatically alphabetize list items in Note, and that would wipe out at least a few apps from my phone. Gets important when you have a few dozen items…
Keep is my primary note app on Android. I’m really glad to have a new Chrome extension so I can save stuff for later more easily. I never really tried Pocket, but I’ll be happy to reap the benefits of it in Keep.
So, I’m guessing that they are going to give up on the ‘Save to Google’ extension? I was hoping that it would replace Pocket, but there is no mobile app and just going in to find your saved pages isn’t exactly user friendly.
I feel bad for the pocket guys today and at the same time wonder why google has so many competing and confusing products to save stuff, not to mention announcing two very similar products on the same day!
I’d be more interested in using Pocket if they’d add features to bring you back to the app to read the articles you save but they just keep making more and more ways to add articles. I already have enough articles. More than enough. And then some.
yeah I have to agree – their efforts to add Tags aren’t really terribly helpful, still I think it might be a better solution that google’s current offerings though I’ve not tested them. The ability to annotate in Keep might be useful. The Inbox offering is perplexing to me at first blush.
Also I don’t’ think these features in Pocket are worth $45/ a year:
Personal backup of all the articles and webpages you’ve saved
Suggested Tags for quick organization
Search by Full-Text, Tag, Author, or Topic
Access to Advanced Search Operators
Sort Search Results by Relevance or Date Saved
View Recent Searches
Further – I’m an avid user of the service however I have a lingering question about how private my list is.
Another feature I wish someone would do is add the ability to upload PDFs with one click a la google drive or dropbox. Having the ability to search all the text would be helpful as well.
Lots of ways to improve but Pocket seems keen on just making sure you add more stuff to it. I guess the Trending and Best of Features are helpful to know if you should actually spend time reading something you saved that was ‘main stream’ other than that the best thing I’ve found is Feedly’s score – where they have the little mystery numbers (I think they’re social media engagements or something) to determine how ‘hot’ an article is. I’m sure that feature makes me miss some things and probably dumbs it down in the long run but I find myself using it more and more.
Maybe I should go outside instead.
edit – one other feature that would be cool – having pocket dictate the text back to me – they’re probably working on everything I mentioned but whatever I want it yesterday dangit! #entitledmillenial