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Google

How to Organise Your Notes with Google Keep

Google Keep is a free note app that syncs between your phone and computer. Create notes or checklists, pin the important ones, sort them with labels and colours, set reminders, and share lists with family or colleagues. Archive notes you’re done with instead of deleting them, and use search to find anything again.

Updated
Time
10 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Applies to
Android, iPhone, Web

By Published Oct 6, 2026

Quick answer

  1. 1 Open Google Keep (app or keep.google.com) and tap Take a note.
  2. 2 Tap the checkbox icon for a checklist.
  3. 3 Add labels (type #labelname or use Labels in the menu) and a colour.
  4. 4 Pin important notes to the top.
  5. 5 Tap the bell to set a reminder.
  6. 6 Share a note with Collaborator; archive notes you’ve finished.
On this page
  1. Before you start
  2. Capture notes and lists
  3. Organise with labels, colours and pins
  4. Remind, share and tidy up
  5. Troubleshooting
  6. Frequently asked questions

Before you start

  • A Google Account
  • The Google Keep app or a browser

Method 1 Capture notes and lists

  1. Step 1: Create a note

    Open the Google Keep app or keep.google.com and tap Take a note. Add a title and your text.

  2. Step 2: Make a checklist

    Tap the checkbox icon (or New list) to create a list you can tick off. In an existing note, open the + menu and choose Tick boxes to convert it.

  3. Step 3: Add pictures, drawings or voice

    Use the + menu on a phone to add a photo, drawing or voice recording. Keep can also grab text from an image.

Method 2 Organise with labels, colours and pins

  1. Step 1: Add labels

    Type # and a label name in a note, or open the note menu and choose Labels. Labels work like folders, but a note can have several.

  2. Step 2: Use colours

    Tap the palette icon to colour-code notes, for example yellow for ideas and green for shopping.

  3. Step 3: Pin what matters

    Tap the pin icon to keep a note at the top of your notes.

  4. Step 4: Browse by label

    Open the menu (three lines) and tap a label to see only those notes.

Method 3 Remind, share and tidy up

  1. Step 1: Set a reminder

    Tap the bell icon (Remind me) and choose a date and time. You get a notification on your phone.

  2. Step 2: Share a note

    Open the menu and tap Collaborator, then add someone’s email. Shared shopping or packing lists update for everyone instantly.

  3. Step 3: Archive finished notes

    Swipe a note away (or click the archive icon) to archive it. Archived notes disappear from the main view but stay searchable.

  4. Step 4: Search

    Use the search bar to find notes by word, label, colour, type (lists, images) or collaborator.

Troubleshooting

My notes aren’t syncing

Make sure you’re signed in to the same Google Account on each device and connected to the internet. On Android, check Settings > Accounts sync is on for Keep.

I deleted a note by mistake

Open Bin (or Trash) in the menu. Deleted notes stay there for 7 days; open one and tap Restore.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Keep free?

Yes. It uses your Google Account storage, and notes are usually tiny.

Can I use folders in Keep?

Keep uses labels instead of folders. They work the same way, and one note can belong to several labels.

Summary

Capture everything in Google Keep as notes or checklists, then organise with a few labels, colours and pinned notes. Set reminders with the bell, share lists with Collaborator, and archive notes you’ve finished so your main view stays clear.

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Written by

James Chambo

Founder

James is the Founder and Senior Editor of OnlineHow with more than 20 years of experience in internet publishing.