Google Keep is being updated to a system app on devices running Android 16, joining the ranks of other Android apps that provide essential services like calling and messaging, reporting. Android Police.
Google's free note-taking app appears as a system app in the latest Android 16 beta, Android 16 Developer Preview 2. Anyone who updates to this version of the operating system will no longer be able to uninstall the app unless they have access to it. root. However, anyone still using Android 15 or earlier can easily uninstall it through normal means, as Google Keep is not a system app in those versions.
The news comes as a surprise. Google integrated Keep with its Tasks feature in April, but Google has otherwise ignored its note-taking app over the years. Suddenly, though, it's apparently considered a vital core feature for the Android operating system, like Google's Phone, Contacts, and Google Play Store apps.
Google has yet to explain the change, but this suggests that the company could be planning to update Google Keep with more powerful features so that it plays a more central role in Android 16. Google may be planning to integrate it with other mainstream Androids. features, for example.
