Google Keep redesigns its Note collection widget on Android

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Google Keep for Android has revised the “Note collection” widget, replacing the Material You-era sidebar with a floating action button and giving the feed an edge-to-edge layout that surfaces more of each note.

Earlier versions placed a vertical bar of quick actions along the widget’s right edge, letting users start a typed entry, a checklist, a voice recording, a sketch, or an image. That column is gone. In its place sits a circular floating action button, the same control found on the “Single note” widget, which opens a pop-up menu when tapped.

The change introduces a second tap into the note-creation flow, since users now open the menu before choosing a note type. That behavior matches the smaller, pill-shaped “Quick capture” widget, aligning the two designs around a consistent interaction. The trade-off is a more compact presentation of the entry options.

Removing the sidebar frees space for an edge-to-edge design that shows a bit more of each note in the feed. The earlier layout left considerable empty space, an effect that was most pronounced when the widget was stretched to a full-width homescreen configuration. The revised look puts that reclaimed area toward note content instead.

The tweak is arriving in version 5.26.365.x of Google Keep, rolling out through the Play Store. As with most staged releases, availability may take time to reach every device.

The widget adjustment follows the rollout of Keep Live, a feature made available to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers. Google has separately expanded Keep’s reach elsewhere on Android, including a Keep Notes integration in Google Messages and a “Find in note” search tool within the Keep app itself.

The homescreen widget change is modest in scope, but it standardizes how Keep’s various widgets handle note creation and makes better use of available space on the feed. We are keeping an eye out for further refinements as the update continues to roll out through the Play Store in the coming days.