Google Keep is getting ready to get a big handwritten notes overhaul

Google Keep looks to be getting some new abilities to make it far more like your digital notebook than ever, complete with handwritten notes that are versatile as well as intuitive.

A recent teardown of Google Keep version 5.24.422.02.90 by Android Authority revealed some exciting strings of code hinting at a major overhaul of the app’s handwriting capabilities designed to work seamlessly with both a stylus and your finger. They even got the new features up and running and made a quick demo video to show it all off. This isn’t just a minor update to the existing drawing tools in Keep. We’re talking about a whole new format for handwritten notes in Google’s app.

Want to add an image to your note? Want to emphasize a key point with some typed text? This new canvas in Google Keep is open to all sorts of media and input that you want to include in your notes. You also have options for lines and grids, from small and large dots to narrow and wide ruled lines along with different colors for the background, text, and scribbles as well.

The Material 3 design language is evident throughout this new layout, with sleek sliders for adjusting stroke width and a revamped color picker. It’s clear that Google has put a lot of thought into making this experience intuitive and visually appealing, especially for those who love using Chromebooks, tablets and foldables for note-taking.

When this update will roll out isn’t yet clear, but it seems close for sure. I’m looking very forward to trying all of this out on a Chromebook like the Lenovo Duet 11″ when it does arrive. Things have been hit-or-miss for USI pen input for Android apps on Chromebooks in the past, so I’ll be very curious to see how this plays out when it does launch. Hopefully, we’ll get to test it sooner than later!