Google Assistant Now Lets You Choose Your Notes & Lists Apps

Google assistant gets new to-do list integrations and more!

I love to use my Google Assistant! It is everywhere I want it to be. We have Google Home devices in just about every room in the house, and for those times I’m away from home, I can use Google Assistant on my phone.

I use it to set up reminders… “Hey Google, remind me that I put that thing in that place that one time” or I use it to listen to my podcats in every room of my house so I can clean the house and pick up the podcast right where I left off in the previous room.

One thing that has bothered me though was there wasn’t a good place to put my to-do list or quick notes to myself. This is especially a problem for me when I’m driving or in the shower. I do some of my best thinking in the shower and I need to keep track of the things I want to do when I am available.

When you would ask Google to add an item to your to-do list, it went into the strange ether of nowheresville. It was actually accessible from the Google Assistant app, but I could never remember that, and it was super clunky.

New To-do List and Notes Integrations

Google announced this week that you can now integrate the Google Assistant lists with several to-do list applications. Currently, you can sync with Google Keep, AnyList, Any.do and Bring Shopping Lists. I prefer to use Google Keep, since the to-do list application I actually prefer, Tick Tick, is not on the list.

I do actually use Google Keep often to take quick notes, so adding these list items temporarily to Google Keep will definitely be the next best option for me at the moment.

To enable this, find your Google Assistant app on your phone and then click the inbox icon on the bottom left corner.

  • Next, click on your profile picture on the top right corner of the assistant app.
  • Tap the “Services” tab, and select Notes & Lists
  • Tap on your preferred integrated service
  • Try out your new commands by asking Google to “add an item to my to-do list” or “add Nintendo Switch to my Christmas list”

Once you start creating various lists, you can ask google to show you or read you back any of the lists you’ve created. You can also ask Google to “take a note,” however this doesn’t seem to be working on my Nest Hub yet.

This is one reason I prefer Google/Android over Apple, the ability to choose the applications that work best for ME. Everyone uses technology differently, and the apps that work great for me might be terrible for someone else. I’m just hoping TickTick gets added to the list real quick, although I’m not holding my breath.

Assign reminders

Also included in this update is the ability to assign a reminder to a different member of the household. I can say, “Hey Google, remind Maddie to empty the dishwasher at 6 PM” and the Google devices in our home will remind my daughter to empty the dishwasher at 6 PM!

I am always so amazed by how much the Google Assistant can do. I know I haven’t even scratched the surface of its possibilities, and I use it a. lot. Hooray for our robot overlords! I am seriously ALL. IN.


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About the author

Sarah Werle Kimmel

Sarah Werle Kimmel is a digital parenting coach and family tech expert. She has spent the last 20 years of her career working as a Microsoft Certified IT Manager supporting over 100 small businesses. During that time she started Family Tech LLC to help families understand and manage the technology in their home. She has regularly appeared as a family tech expert on local NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX news affiliates, BYUtv and Studio 5, and has been invited all over the world from tech companies like Lenovo, Verizon, Microsoft, Dell, and Samsung. Find out more on her website SarahKimmel.com

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