What you need to know
- Google is removing the Chrome Keep app from Chromebooks next year.
- This is a result of the general death of Chrome apps as Google moves the platform to PWAs and Android apps.
- Google Keep remains accessible from the web or the Android app, however.
Google is killing off the Keep Chrome app next month, the company shared on a support page this week (via 9to5Google). The app was one of the most useful apps built for the Chrome platform, and even offered some integration that other apps don't have such as a quick launch from the lock screen.
The support page notes:
Existing users who have Chrome version 86 or newer will be able to migrate to keep.google.com by following instructions in the Chrome App. The Keep Chrome app on your desktop will be replaced by a shortcut launcher, which will allow you to launch keep.google.com by simply clicking on the icon on your desktop.
Google has announced the end of Chrome apps for years now, so it really was just a matter of time. You still have access to it on the web, and naturally, the Android app does almost everything else (aside from the quick lock access), so it's a wash for most users.
Chrome apps were a path Google wanted to take on the Chrome platform at first, but developers didn't follow. Instead, the company has moved towards PWAs, Android apps, Linux apps, and even Windows apps. It's a slightly different version of the future Google was hoping for, but it makes for a more useful product in the present.
Lenovo Duet
With newfound pen support via the Lenovo USI Pen, this small tablet would make a great note-taking tool.
