Keep Notes is the latest app to get Google’s Material Design makeover

By Mark Jansen Published October 18, 2018

Tired of looking at the same old yellow aesthetic on Google’s Keep Notes app? An update is rolling out that updates Google’s note-keeping app to the new Material Design 2, bringing it in line with the look of the latest version of Android.

In case you’ve been asleep under a rock for the last couple of months — or if you’re some sort of weird person who doesn’t keep up with breaking news on cosmetic changes to apps — Google has been updating its primary apps to conform to its new design standards. Material Design 2 had been on the horizon for some time, but it’s come to a head with the release of Android 9.0 Pie, which brought the new style to the forefront. As such, we’ve seen Android Messages, Google Photos, and Google News get a design refresh in the last couple of months.

keep notes material design 2 update screenshot 20181018 093033

keep notes material design 2 update screenshot 20181018 093026

Keep Notes (formerly known as Google Keep) is the latest app to get the update, and it’s broadly what we expect to see from Material Design 2. The bright yellow theme of the past is gone, and it has been replaced by a predominantly white borderless design. Like other apps, the removal of hard borders has opened the app up a little, giving you more room for your content on-screen. The button to switch between side-by-side cards and a list format has been made more prominent, and personal information has been entirely removed from the side bar — though you’ll still be able to change accounts by tapping your icon in the top-right of the app’s main page.

keep notes material design 2 update screenshot 20181018 095603

keep notes material design 2 update screenshot 20181018 095555

Unfortunately, while the update brings a new design to Keep Notes, it doesn’t add any new features. So that means no dark theme for night-time note-keeping — yet. Google has shown an interest in darker themes, and has added them to Android Messages and Google News so far, so it’s not beyond the pale to expect one for most of Google’s apps and services in the future.

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The app is currently rolling out to Android devices, and if it hasn’t hit your device yet you can either wait for it to arrive, or sideload it onto your device by downloading the update APK.

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Mobile Evergreen Editor

Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…

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