If you used Google Keep for reminders, you have probably noticed they do not behave the way they used to. That is not your phone acting up. Google changed where Keep reminders live.
This guide covers what changed and the realistic alternatives. The short version: for most reminders, staying inside Google is fine. For the few you cannot afford to miss, you may want something stronger than a notification.
What changed with Keep reminders
On April 25, 2024, Google announced that Google Keep reminders would be saved to Google Tasks. Google's help documentation now says new Keep reminders are saved as tasks, and you can view, edit and complete them from Keep, Tasks, Calendar and Gemini.
Two details matter most if your reminders feel broken:
- Mobile reminder notifications no longer come from Keep. Google says you need Calendar or Tasks installed to get them.
- Location-based reminders in Keep are gone. You can no longer create or receive them in Keep.
So if you searched for "Google Keep reminders not working," the first thing to check is whether Google Tasks or Google Calendar is installed on your phone, with notifications allowed. If you relied on "remind me when I get home," that feature is not coming back in Keep.
We wrote about what this shift says about reminder tools in Google Keep is letting go of reminders. This post is the practical follow-up.
Option 1: Stay inside Google with Tasks and Calendar
For a lot of people, this is the right answer.
Your Keep reminders are now tasks. They show up in Tasks and Calendar, so dated to-dos sit next to your meetings. If you already live in Gmail and Google Calendar, there is nothing new to learn and nothing new to pay for.
This suits you if:
- your reminders are mostly personal to-dos with a date
- you already check Google Calendar every day
- you want one place for plans and reminders
The tradeoff is that Tasks is a planning tool. It is more structured than Keep was, and the reminder itself still arrives as a standard notification. That is fine for "buy stamps." It is less reassuring for "call the pharmacy before it closes."
Option 2: Use your phone's built-in reminders or alarms
Phones come with a clock app that has alarms, and usually some kind of reminders app too. These are the lowest-effort replacement for a quick Keep reminder.
This suits you if:
- you want something fast that is already on your phone
- your reminders are short and do not need much context
- you mainly need a loud cue at a fixed time, like a wake-up or "leave now" alarm
Alarms are blunt, and that is their strength. The limit is that they arrive the same way as everything else your phone does, and an alarm tells you that something matters without always telling you what.
Option 3: Move to a dedicated to-do app
If Tasks feels too thin or too rigid, a dedicated task manager may suit you better. Most let you add due dates, group tasks into lists or projects, and set reminders.
This suits you if:
- you have a lot of tasks across work and home
- you want projects, labels, priorities or recurring tasks
- you are willing to spend a little time setting up a system
The caution: switching apps fixes organisation problems. It does not automatically fix follow-through. A reminder from a new to-do app is still a notification, and a notification is easy to swipe away when you are busy. We wrote about why in notifications are too easy to ignore.
Option 4: Add a phone call for the reminders you cannot miss
The first three options are about where your reminders live. This one is about how the important ones reach you.
Jules is a phone call reminder app. Instead of a notification, it calls your phone when a reminder is due. The call is automated and short: it tells you which reminder is due. There is no app to install. You set reminders in the browser, and Jules calls your phone number.
You do not have to move everything into Jules. Keep your main system and use Jules for the handful of moments that are costly to miss: a medication dose, a school pickup, a deadline, a meeting you keep sailing past.
The Free plan is $0 and includes unlimited reminders with one-off, weekly and monthly calls, a standard 20-minute call window and one call attempt per reminder. Routine is $4.99 a month or $48 a year, with a 7-day free trial. It adds daily, weekday and custom schedules, a custom call window, and up to 3 call-backs if you miss the first call. The full breakdown is on the Jules pricing page.
A few honest limits. Delivery depends on carrier routing and your phone's settings, so do not disturb or call blocking can still get in the way. And Jules is not an emergency service.
How Jules sits on top of Google Calendar
Now that Keep reminders flow into Tasks and Calendar, Google Calendar is the center of the Google reminder story. Jules can connect to it.
On Routine, Jules syncs Google Calendar for up to five Google accounts, using the primary calendar from each account. That means a work calendar and a personal calendar can feed the same Jules account. Events on those calendars can then become phone call reminders, so an appointment that is already on your calendar can ring your phone instead of only showing a banner.
Additional and shared calendars inside an account are not included, so put the events that matter on your primary calendar. For the step-by-step version, see the Google Calendar call reminder setup guide.
You can also skip the sync and create a reminder directly in Jules for any one-off moment. That works on the Free plan.
A simple decision guide
- You mostly need reminders to show up somewhere you already look. Stay with Google Tasks and Calendar. Install one of them on your phone and allow notifications.
- You want the quickest replacement for a one-line Keep reminder. Use your phone's built-in reminders app or an alarm.
- You have outgrown Keep and want more structure. Try a dedicated to-do app with projects and priorities.
- You see your reminders and still miss the moment. Add a phone call for those specific reminders, and leave everything else where it is.
Plenty of people end up with two layers: one place to plan, and a stronger interruption for the few things that matter most. That is not overkill. It is matching the reminder to the stakes.
Common questions
Why are my Google Keep reminders not working anymore?
Google moved Keep reminders into Google Tasks. According to Google's help documentation, mobile notifications no longer come from Keep, so you need Google Calendar or Google Tasks installed to receive them. Location-based reminders in Keep are no longer available.
What replaced Google Keep reminders?
Google Tasks. New Keep reminders are saved as tasks, and you can view, edit and complete them from Keep, Tasks, Calendar and Gemini.
Is there a Google Keep reminders alternative that calls you?
Jules calls your phone when a reminder is due. You can create reminders directly in Jules on the Free plan, or connect Google Calendar on Routine so events on your primary calendar can become calls.
Do I need to stop using Google Tasks to use Jules?
No. Keep using Tasks and Calendar to organise, and use Jules for the reminders that need to get through.