Google Assistant adds support for Keep, Any.do, and other third-party note apps

Google Assistant support for third-party note and list taking providers has been a long time coming. It’s finally here with integration for Google Keep and three other services rolling out today, while Assistant is picking up two voice capabilities for photos and podcasts.

Assistant currently has a built-in provider for taking notes and lists by voice. This generic solution works across devices, but is quite barebones and does not have a real mobile or web client. It emerged after Google removed the original Keep integration to push Google Express — now Google Shopping.

Fortunately, Assistant voice commands for taking notes, creating lists, and adding items to existing ones now work with Any.do, AnyList, Bring!, and Google Keep. This integration sees information you enter verbally on phones, smart displays, and speakers be stored in your app of choice.

To set-up, visit Assistant settings to connect your note/list client of choice with Google. The “Services” tab has a new “Notes and Lists” menu to select and initiate the third-party integration. This functionality was first announced at I/O 2018 and originally had six other participating providers.

Google will not move existing notes and lists to those third-party apps, but they’ll still be accessible by directly asking. Assistant notes support is rolling out starting today, example — holiday-themed — commands include:

• “Create a holiday gift list.”
• “Add Stadia to my holiday gift list.”
• “Add cranberries to my grocery list.”
• “Take a note.”
• “Show me my notes.”

Meanwhile, Assistant can already find your photos by location and date. After selecting, you can now ask Google on Android to “share these photos with [x]” for a feature somewhat reminiscent of the Pixel 4’s new Assistant.

Another new capability is searching for shows to listen to with Google Podcasts. For example, “Hey Google, find a podcast about holiday cooking” or “show me podcasts about New Year’s resolutions” will work in English on all Assistant-enabled devices.