From a simple note-taking application, Google Keep could become much more. Google is indeed preparing to promote the service to the rank of “system” app, reflecting a certain ambition for the software.
It seems like a long time ago when we feared for the survival of Google Keep. After having let its note-taking application survive quietly for a long time, the search giant is reportedly preparing to give its service a facelift by integrating it more deeply into the operation of Android.
As noted by Android Police, in the latest Android 16 beta, Google Keep was promoted to a “system” app. This means that, like Gmail, Chrome or Maps, the application will soon no longer be able to be uninstalled. But it also suggests that Google has big ambitions for its note-taking service, which could gain functionality by sinking its roots deeper into the system.
Taking notes from the lock screen?
The prospect of being able to launch the app or even enter a note directly from the lock screen has been long awaited by Android aficionados. A bit like what Samsung offers with its S Pen note-taking, Google Keep could thus make itself more immediately available to those who need to jot down a shopping list.
By becoming a system app, Keep could actually have access to more extensive permissions than “standard” apps which never go beyond their confines. Until then, Keep was certainly pre-installed on most Android phones, but could be removed at will. It therefore seems that this is no longer the case and that Google wants to make its service an essential building block of the Android ecosystem.
One more pre-installed app?
While this will undoubtedly delight those who use Keep on a daily basis and who were worried about the survival of the service, it also means that Android will soon come with one more pre-installed application. Enough to take up a little more storage on a system which continues to gain weight year after year.
To go further
The end of pre-installed apps on smartphones: iOS leads the way, Google will have to modify Android
It remains to be seen whether third-party manufacturers will also adopt Google’s application or whether they will continue to install their own home app, creating a new duplicate in the Android ecosystem which is already rich in them.
