26 Android note-taking tricks

Plus a nifty new typing time-saver  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [SpyShelter logo]()​ Good golly, do I adore organization. Seriously — it's a sickness. I get some sort of perverse pleasure out of having everything in its proper place, perfectly formatted and optimized for the future. I'm telling you: I'm a psychopath. But luckily, I found the right kind of job for my...let's say...quirky tendencies to shine. In this week's Things to Try, I'll show you a whopping 26 of my favorite tricks for smarter, more effective, and more organized Android note-taking. I hope it brings as much joy to your dorky brain-center as it does to mine. [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute 45 seconds ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute ⌚ Just for Funsies: 35 seconds [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. A fresh crop of funky phones is upon us ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Device-makers have been showing off some truly unusual concepts at a big mobile-tech convention in Barcelona this week. 🔎 KNOW MORE: One of the best parts about Android has always been its open nature and the fact that it empowers phone-makers to take the platform in all sorts of inventive directions. And silly as some of this stuff may be, it's also really cool to see — and to realize it's even possible. - Motorola and Samsung, for instance, have new wearable phones that wrap around your wrist and then straighten out to be more standard shapes. - Energizer — yes, Energizer — has a hilariously thick new Android phone that supposedly lasts for five days of active use or 94 days of idle time. (It also looks like it weighs approximately 94 pounds.) - And on another side of the spectrum, Lenovo is showing off a super-futuristic transparent-display laptop — something that seems both wildly impractical and inevitable to appear somewhere on Android before long. 📌 READ MORE: Scope out the [Motorola](, [Samsung](, [Energizer](, and [Lenovo](=) gadgets for yourself and see whatcha think. And remember, they may be somewhat unrealistic and highly unlikely to go on sale anytime soon, but that doesn't mean they aren't fun to ogle and appreciate. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. The affordable foldables are coming ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: In a perfect example of how once-silly-seeming concepts can evolve into something worthwhile, we're finally starting to see foldable Android devices appear with price tags that could make 'em much more compelling. 🔎 KNOW MORE: A handful of different phone-makers are launching midrange-level foldables this week and signaling the start of a new, more accessible era for that cutting-edge form. - Most of the incoming options are geared primarily toward international sales and unlikely to appear here in the States. - But that's precisely how these trends tend to begin. We'll see stuff show up first overseas, often in Asia, and then make its way to the rest of the world soon after. - Keep in mind, too, that we've been hearing rumblings for a while now about Samsung starting to sell midrange versions of its Android-based foldables. The fact that more affordable models are popping up elsewhere makes that possibility seem even more inevitable. 📌 READ MORE: [See all the new affordable foldables up close and personal]() — and stay tuned for more on this front before long. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Google's Gemini chatbot is coming into your messages ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Don't look now, but El Googathor's in the midst of adding in the ability to "talk" with its Gemini AI chatbot from right within the Google Messages app. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The feature is currently rolling out to the beta version of Messages in areas where Gemini is already supported (though I'm not seeing it myself just yet, so it seems to be showing up slowly). - Once the feature appears for you, you'll see "Gemini" as a new option when tapping the Start Chat button in the app's lower corner. - You can then start a regular "conversation" with Gemini and ask it the same sort of stuff you could ask in any other context. - This move has classic Google 360 written all over it. Back in 2016, Google launched a messaging app called Allo that existed mostly to provide a way to interact with the then-new Google Assistant. As Assistant became ubiquitous, the chat-with-it option in Allo became less important — and Google gave up on the app entirely within a matter of months. Déjà vu, anyone? 📌 READ MORE: See [Google's Gemini-Messages announcement](=) and hop over to [the official feature help page](=) to dive deeper into how it works. SPONSORED MESSAGE Stop naughty apps in their tracks! ❌ [Tr)jan:0_H0rs3.exe threat popup]()​ Woah, not those kinds of apps! We’re talking about the seemingly innocent, everyday apps that are secretly installing spyware, draining resources, and doing all sorts of shady stuff on our computers — right under our noses! That’s why you need (drumroll please)... [SpyShelter!]()​ SpyShelter helps you detect + stop apps from misbehaving, whether they be Trojan Horses or Resource Hogs. Complimentary to your current antivirus, [SpyShelter turns your PC into a fortress](): Only you decide exactly what your apps are allowed to do (and when). Why IT, Infosec, and thousands of civilians love SpyShelter: - Reveals suspicious activity in real time - Adds extra visibility and full application control - Exposes apps crashing your computer and installing adware And if you’re worried you have spyware? SpyShelter prevents it from taking anything but blank screenshots and random characters. ➜ [What are you waiting for? Take back control of your PC and try SpyShelter for FREE!]()​ [​​STOP SPYWARE FOR FREE​ ➜]() ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Teach yourself some new Android note-taking tricks Note-takers, take note: Google's default Android note-taking service has come a long way in recent years — and odds are, it's packing at least a few useful options you aren't yet aware of. ➜ I dug deep to uncover every last little possibility within the Keep Android app for maximum on-the-go efficiency and organization. ⌚ Each one of 'em will take you no more than a single minute to master. 📌 [Head over to the complete collection]( and see which tricks are new to you. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Uncover Gboard's nifty new typing time-saver Here's a neat new trick to try: Google's excellent Gboard Android keyboard​ is in the midst of getting an update that lets you scan text from the real world and then paste it anywhere on your device — without ever taking your fingers off your digital keyboard. ➜ It's the same capability already available in the outstanding Google Lens Android app​, but having it right there within Gboard makes it even more accessible and convenient to use. ⌚ In fact, it'll take you all of seven seconds to do. 📌 I've got all the steps in [this short 'n' simple guide](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Bring the ghost of Google Now into your app drawer As my fellow Android long-timers may remember, one of Google's greatest abandoned ideas was a snazzy little somethin' called Google Now. Google Now was a service that existed on Android around 2012 and worked to serve up predictive, contextual intelligence — info you needed, in other words, before you even realized you needed it. ➜ Google did Its Google Thang™ and axed the idea with little fanfare a few years later, but now, one of Android's most imaginative developers is bringing the concept back in a really clever way. ⌚ You'll need about four to five minutes to properly explore it. 📌 [Check it out for yourself](=) — and prepare for a whole new kind of Android-enhancing adventure. [] ​ [And Just for Funsies...] Every now and then, an ambitious designer decides to get creative and imagine what it'd look like if modern tech brands existed in completely different contexts. And man, lemme tell ya: I absolutely love these things. I stumbled onto a new one this week, and it's every bit as entertaining as you'd hope. The fun comes courtesy of an Italy-based designer who [shared his vision](=) for popular software products turning into hardware. Here, for instance, is the Zoom phone booth: [An artist's rendering of a Zoom phone booth] ​ Then there's the Airbnb-branded, app-connected smart lock: [An artist's rendering of an Airbnb lock] ​ How 'bout some "SpotiPods" for your seamless streaming pleasure? [An artist's rendering of Spotify earbuds] ​ And then my personal favorite — the Notion Pen, which automatically digitizes everything you write and imports it into your Notion notes: [An artist's rendering of a Notion pen] ​ Hey Google: Any chance we can get a Keep version of that, too?! A very merry March to ye Well, well — here we are: March 1st! Already! (Somehow?!) The start of spring is right around the corner, and we've got plenty of fragrant flowers on the brink of blooming here in the land o' Googley matters. Keep those gardening gloves handy, my fellow tech horticulturist. I'll see ya right back here next week. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Android Intelligence, Windows Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider](=) to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. 🤝 [An Intelligence Insider membership](=) allows you to support our work and keep this newsletter sustainable!