Google Keep on your watch just lost a key feature
If you have notes that already have tasks attached to them, they will still show a small icon on the main feed to let you know a deadline is coming up. But there is a bit of a bug here too. When you tap to open that note, it takes a surprisingly long time for the actual day and date of the reminder to load on the screen.
Why this makes using your watch harder
Old vs. new Google Keep note view on Wear OS. | Images credit — 9to5Google
It seems like Google is pushing us to use Gemini and its Tasks integration to set reminders going forward. While the AI integration works well, forcing users to use voice commands for a simple interaction isn’t ideal. Not everyone wants to talk to their wrist in the middle of a meeting just to set a reminder.
If Google is permanently removing this from Keep, other apps need to step up. The Google Calendar app on Wear OS is currently very bare-bones. It desperately needs an update that allows you to create reminders and events manually. Currently, it is just a simple agenda view, and we don’t even have a proper month view to browse through.
We need a dedicated Tasks app on Wear OS
In my opinion, this change highlights a recurring issue with Wear OS: the lack of a standalone Google Tasks app. The current Tasks “Tile” (widget) is far too basic, as it limits you to seeing only the items that have a specific date assigned to them.
Until that happens, or until the Calendar app gets a major overhaul, removing features from Keep feels like a punishment for smartwatch users. I use my watch when I’m in work focus mode to stay away from using my phone, but updates like this force me to take my phone off the charger just to get simple things done.
