Are Google Keep notes backed up?

This is an interesting question because it all depends on what you mean by ‘backed up’. In one sense, yes they are backed up as they are all stored on a Google server, so if you completely wipe your phone for example you’ll still be able to access your Google Keep notes. But, if you were to permanently delete all your Google Keep notes and then completely wipe your phone, then there’s no way to recover those notes.

This article provides three ways then to export Google Keep notes, so that they can be stored elsewhere in case you want to completely delete your Google account or are worried you’ll lose access to it for some reason (usually if you’re a Google Workspace user and are leaving that business).

ok, now that’s been cleared up – let’s begin.

Option one – Google Docs

Personally I regularly create copies of my important Google Keep notes on Google Docs (which is a nice feature that’s built right into Google Keep). That way I am backing up those notes in a separate area so should something happen to my Google Keep account, I can still access the notes that are important to me.

How to export Google Keep notes to Google Docs via the web

• Open https://keep.google.com.
• Click the note you want to send to Google Docs. 
• Click on the More menu icon in the bottom right of the note.
• Click Copy to Google Doc in the drop down menu. To immediately open the Google Doc, click Open Doc in the pop up that appears in the bottom left of the window. 

How to export Google Keep notes to Google Docs via the mobile app

Note: The option to send a Google Keep note directly to Google Docs is only available on the Android mobile app.

• Open the Keep application.
• Tap on the note you want to send to Google Docs.
• Tap on the Action Menu icon in the bottom right of the note.
• Tap on Send from the pop up menu.
• Tap on Copy to Google Doc from the pop up screen. To immediately open the Google Doc, click Open Doc in the pop up that appears in the bottom left of the window.
• Tap on the Back Arrow to return to the original note.

Once you’ve exported Google Keep notes, then what?

Once your notes have been exported to Google Docs, they can be edited and formatted like any other document. The original Google Keep notes will remain untouched, so you can choose to keep them; archive them or delete them, without affecting the notes that were exported to Google Docs.

The document will have the same title as the original Google Keep note. If there was no title on the note, the document will be called ‘Google Keep Document’.

Note: Lists do not translate across to Google Docs. Any list notes will have their checkboxes replaced with a bullet point instead.

Option Two – Sharing Google Keep Notes with another Google user

If you’re looking to export your Google Keep notes because you’re about to lose access to your Google account for some reason then I recommend this option. It allows you to keep all the Google Keep note formats including images, lists etc although it is a bit time-consuming as you need to share each note separately.

How to share Google Keep Notes via Android app

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Keep app
2. Tap the note you want to share.
3. Tap the three vertical dots in the bottom right
4. Tap Collaborator.
5. Enter a name, email address, or Google Group.
6. Choose a name or email address.
7. In the top right, tap Save.

How to share Google Keep notes via the web

1. On your computer, open Google Keep.
2. Click a note.
3. Click Collaborator.
4. Enter a name, email address, or Google Group.
5. Choose a name, then click Done.
6. Click Save.

How to share Google Keep notes via iOS app

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Keep app 
2. Tap the note you want to share.
3. Tap Action.
4. Tap Collaborators.
5. Enter a name, email address, or Google Group.
6. Choose a name or email address.
7. In the top right, tap Done.

Option Three – Google Takeout

Alternatively, you could choose to regularly download your Google Keep information from takeout.google.com which is usually a great way to backup and store data that you don’t want to lose.

To do this:

• Go to takeout.google.com
• You can elect to download everything from your Google account (this is the default option) or click on “Deselect all” and then choose just Google Keep (which is listed as just Keep in the list)
• Either way, once you’ve made your choice, scroll down the screen and click on “Next Step”
• Leave the default options and click on “Create export”. You’ll get an email once your export is done.
• Once you get the email click on “Download your files” to get a zip file of the information.

Limitation of Google Takeout

There’s one major limitation of using Google Takeout to maintain an external cache of your Google Keep notes – getting access to them again!

Each note downloads as HTML which must be opened, copied & then pasted into new Keep note. Images won’t be downloaded through this method & need to be downloaded separately & reattached to the appropriate note.

This limitation is why it’s my least favourite option for ‘backing up’ Google Keep notes.

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Looking for help with a specific issue?

I can help with a number of common Google Workspace issues, such as regaining administrator access; fixing email delivery issues; and cybersecurity.