Google’s lineup of apps for the Apple Watch has taken a sudden hit with the quiet removal of one of its most handy offerings.
While the tech giant recently released a minimalist version of Google Calendar for watchOS, it also quietly pulled the plug on Google Keep for the Apple Watch, marking the end of its four-year run.
Google Keep, which first launched in 2019, has been removed in version 2.2025.26200 of the app. Despite not receiving significant updates in recent years (it lacked a refreshed icon or support for newer watchOS features), it remained a reliable tool for users who relied on it for quick access to shopping lists and notes on the go. Its absence will likely disrupt some users, especially with the upcoming launch of watchOS 26, which will introduce a native Notes app for the first time. Keep had long served as a simple, wrist-friendly option for easily retrieving notes without the need to pull out a phone.
Though it’s gone from Apple Watch, Google Keep is still available for Wear OS, highlighting Google’s ongoing focus on its own wearable platform.
In contrast, the recent launch of a stripped-back Google Calendar app for watchOS (which, like Keep, is lacking in features) offers a glimpse of Google’s ongoing, if inconsistent, commitment to Apple’s smartwatch platform. This new Calendar app is a simple read-only list of events and tasks for the week, complete with complications and Smart Stack support, offering a smoother user experience on modern versions of watchOS.
With Google Keep gone, Apple Watch users are left with only three remaining Google apps: Maps, YouTube Music, and Calendar. However, even these apps show signs of neglect, with YouTube Music still missing offline downloads and Google Maps not receiving major updates since 2020.
The removal of Keep, alongside the basic Google Calendar app, raises questions about Google’s strategy for Apple Watch. For a company known for its expansive suite of services, its approach to watchOS remains limited and often feels like an afterthought. It remains to be seen if the Calendar app signals a renewed commitment to the platform, or if it was simply an easy project for the Workspace team.
Until then, Apple Watch users with a Pixel phone will have to cope with a patchy Google experience, now with one less app to rely on for checking notes.
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