Skip to main content

Using Google Keep on a Samsung S21? Don’t install One UI 4

Samsung has been busy rolling out Android 12 updates to a bunch of smartphones over the past few weeks. While the rollout has been largely bug-free, a specific subset of Samsung users has encountered a rather peculiar issue. Apparently, the move to Android 12 and One UI 4.0 seems to have caused an inadvertent bug with Google’s popular note-taking app Google Keep on select Samsung smartphones.

According to the user who first reported this problem, he noticed the issue after finding that an auto-numbered list on his Google Keep app behaving strangely. Whenever he tried to navigate through the list by scrolling, the bug caused extra numbers to be automatically added. The problem also manifests whenever users try to add newer items to the list. The user in question was using a Samsung Galaxy S21+.

The user also shared a screenshot showing the result of what the bug had done to his numbered list. Because he could not get Samsung or Google to respond to this bug, the only fix he could think of was to open the numbered list using a web browser on a PC, where it is correctly displayed.

A screengrab showing the issue with numbered lists on the Google Keep app on Samsung smartphones.
The latest One UI 4.0 update is messing up numbered lists on the Google Keep app. Tim O 8971/ Google Support Forums

While people have been talking about this peculiar problem for over two months at Google’s support forums, it gained substantial traction after a 9to5Google report prompted a Google volunteer contributor to confirm and acknowledge the problem exists. The contributor, a Diamond Product Expert on Google Forums, also revealed that there is no timeline for when to expect a fix as of yet. Chances are, we may only see a fix whenever Google issues an update for Google Keep on the Play Store.

Interestingly, not all smartphones running One UI 4.0 atop Android 12 seem to be affected by the problem. The issue appears to primarily affect some units of flagship-grade devices like the Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy Note 20. So far, there have been no reports of any Samsung Galaxy A series or M series phones facing this issue.

Nevertheless, if you happen to own one of the smartphones mentioned above, and also use Google Keep on Android a lot, it might be a good idea to hold off on the long-awaited Android 12 One UI 4.0 update for a couple of days. For those who don’t use Google Keep at all, we don’t see any reason you should push back the One UI update.

Rahul Srinivas
Rahul is a smartphone buff turned tech journalist who has been tinkering with all things mobile since the early 2000s. He has…
Don’t get too excited about the Samsung Galaxy S24’s AI features
Teaser for Galaxy AI by Samsung.

“A new era of mobile AI.” That’s how Samsung is hyping up its upcoming slate of smartphones in the Galaxy S24 series. For its Unpacked event happening later this month, the company is promising “an all-new mobile experience powered by AI.”

Samsung won’t be the first name to dip its toes into the AI hype stirred up by the likes of ChatGPT and Midjourney. The two smartphone silicon heavyweights – Qualcomm and MediaTek – recently made a huge show about the on-device generative AI capabilities of their latest flagship and mid-range processors.

Read more
This is the one product I don’t want Samsung to launch in 2024
Samsung Health widget on the Galaxy Watch 6.

I’m looking forward to seeing the Samsung Galaxy S24, the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip 6, and especially a Samsung smart ring in 2024.

But in the back of my mind, there is one product I definitely don’t want to see from Samsung next year — one I fear may become inevitable. The Samsung Health app is currently completely free, and I don’t want to see the company turn it into a subscription-based service.
Fitness subscriptions are everywhere

Read more
Don’t buy the Google Pixel 8 — 5 reasons to wait for the Pixel 9
Google Pixel 8 Pro in white and blue.

Google has unveiled the next generation of Pixel devices at its “Made by Google” event in New York. This new lineup includes the Google Pixel 8, Google Pixel 8 Pro, the Google Pixel Watch 2,

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro definitely have some nice upgrades this year. The designs of both phones have subtle changes like more ergonomic rounded corners, flat displays, and symmetrical bezels. The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch AMOLED display with a 60-120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 1-120Hz refresh rate and 2,400 nits of peak brightness. That’s the brightest screen on a smartphone yet!

Read more