Although it isn’t as bad as switching to something worse, my tech preferences haven’t changed much over the last few years. It didn’t make my tech life dull because I tested some incredible tools and developed new habits.
The one that I’m most proud of is forming the habit of taking notes on my phone. I can’t overstate how big it is for someone like me, who used to think people give note-taking more importance than it deserves.
It’s one of my biggest behavioral changes in this decade so far, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Google Keep. Its simplicity and tight integration with the wider Google ecosystem changed my heart about note-taking.
As happy as I was to take notes using Google Keep, I regretted not using it sooner. I still feel this way because of one feature I didn’t know I needed until it was gone.
I know it’s a waste of time crying over spilled milk, but I wish I had tried Google Keep’s location-based reminders before Google killed it.
What are the location-based reminders in Google Keep?
And why do I regret not getting the chance to use it?
You can create reminders in Google Keep, but these are time-based. This means Google Keep will remind you about a note at the date and time you specified.
I use this feature to grocery shop on time and never forget to give my mother a dose of vitamin D once a week. This is how I’ve been using reminders in Google Keep since I started using it.
However, before I started using Keep Notes, there was a feature that reminded users about notes when they moved to a specific location.
I don’t know about anyone else, but if I could access it, I would’ve certainly used it to remind me of an errand only when I was at a specific location.
I haven’t prepared a list of things I would’ve done, but if I were still a student, I would’ve used it to remind me to print my admit card before heading to the exam hall. Judge me all you want, but it happened to me several times when I was a student.
The location-based reminders feature was a handy tool I couldn’t get access to because Google killed it before I even started taking notes.
Why did Google remove location-based reminders in Google Keep?
Location-based reminders were collateral damage
Google quietly made it official in its support document that location-based reminders wouldn’t be available in Keep Notes from the second half of 2025.
Before removing it, Google notified users that it was going to remove location-based reminders in Google Keep. Keep users on Reddit posted about the notification message towards the end of last year.
Google hasn’t explained why it was removing location-based reminders, but the obvious reason was the migration of Keep reminders to Google Tasks.
All Keep reminders, along with their location data, were migrated to Google Tasks. However, since the Google Tasks app doesn’t support location-based reminders, it couldn’t trigger notifications even after migration.
The lack of support in Google Tasks is the only reason you can no longer add location-based reminders to Google Keep Notes.
I hope this changes in the future, and I finally get the chance to use it instead of fantasizing over what I could do with it.
There are many task apps with a location-based reminders feature
One of Google’s rivals offers the feature
Location-based triggers aren’t unheard of. I used it in the Modes and Routines app to automatically connect my phone to the Bluetooth speaker when I hit the gym, before I heard it was a thing in Keep Notes.
This is why I wasn’t surprised to see many alternative task apps with support for location-based reminders. One of the company’s fiercest rivals and partner in many areas offers the feature in its reminder app.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy, use the Samsung Reminders app to set location-based reminders. Other popular reminder apps like Tasks.org, Any.do, and TickTick also support location-based reminders.
However, some of these apps aren’t completely free, so you need to choose wisely.
I’ll still stick to Keep Notes
Google Keep is the easiest note-taking app I have used. That’s one major reason Keep Notes quickly grew on me, so much so that it’s hard to replace it with anything else.
The location-based reminders feature is tempting, but I can’t trade convenience and simplicity for something that I haven’t used. Maybe I would’ve had a more decisive opinion if I used the feature.
So, I’m sticking to Google Keep for now and hoping that Google brings this feature to Tasks soon.
