How to Add a PDF to Google Keep

Google Keep is an excellent app for all sorts of notes. However, it is not flawless; it lacks some essential features. If you were wondering how to add PDF files to Google Keep, you would be disappointed.

There is no way of doing that, at the time being (January 2020). Google may implement this feature in the future, but we can’t say that with certainty. Don’t lose hope, as there are workarounds you can try out.

Keep on reading, and you’ll find the best ways to add PDF files using Google Docs (Google Drive).

Google Keep Uses

Google Keep looks like a simple and easy to use the app. It is free for Android and iOS users, and it is handy for keeping track of your notes. Some people mistake it for an office tool, though that is not its purpose.

The purpose of Google Keep is to make short notes, reminders, and to-do lists. There are many great customization options within the app and ways of organizing your notes. Even multiple people can use the same notes.

Google Keep can deal with images, text, and even voice commands. However, it does not support other documents and files, such as PDF files. Unfortunately, for that, you will need to use Google Drive. Google Docs has an excellent capacity for opening, editing, and sharing docs. Those are its main uses.

Google Keep vs Google Docs

Google Keep is quick, easy, and straightforward. Yes, you can use it to keep track of your notes in text, audio, or image format, but that’s it. If adding PDF files is what you want, you are looking in the wrong place. You need a doc editing app, such as Google Docs.

The good news is that you can convert Google Keep notes into Google Docs and vice versa. Google Docs allows you to use rich text (bold, italicized, underlined), which is not available in Google Keep. You can even link files within Google Drive.

That’s the workaround for having PDF files in Google Keep. You can create a link to a PDF file in Docs, and then copy it to a Google Keep note. Still, Google Keep and Google Drive are two independent apps. That means that their storages are separate too.

Google Keep has unlimited storage, which is neat. Google Drive storage is 15 GB, and it is free, which is again more than enough for storing documents.

Copying Google Keep Notes to Google Docs

The best thing about Google Keep and Google Docs is that they play together, even though they are not the same. You can quickly move your Keep notes into Google Docs and view them over there. Follow the steps to do it:

1. Make sure that you’ve used the links provided above to update Google Keep to the latest version.
2. Launch Google Keep on your device.
   
3. Select a note that you want to send to Google Docs.
   
4. Select More (three dots) and then Send.
   
5. Tap Copy to Google Docs.
   
6. The prompts will inform you about the sending progress, though it shouldn’t take much time.
   

Then you can access your Google Keep a note in Google Docs. Follow the steps:

1. Open Google Docs. Here are the app download links for Android and iOS. Also, make sure that you have the latest version of the app. You can also log into Google Docs using a browser.
   
2. The note that you’ve copied over will be there, waiting for you. It will look the same as on Google Keep.
   

That said, now you can use advanced editing tools that are not available in Google Keep.

How to Add PDF to Google Docs

Now you know about transferring notes from Google Keep to Google Docs, but what about the main topic of this article? Don’t worry. We haven’t forgotten about that. Follow the steps to add PDF files to Google Docs:

1. Log into your Google Drive account on your computer.
   
2. Click on the Upload option and select the PDF file you’d like to upload from your computer.
   
3. Wait for the file to upload. Once it does, right-click it and choose Open With, followed by Google Docs.
   
4. Select the target image and choose Open to add it.
   

That wasn’t so hard? Well, you should be aware of potential hiccups with Google Drive and PDF files. Sometimes the mentioned PDF images will be missing without any explanation. You can only view and copy the text from a PDF file, but you can’t edit it on the spot. The workaround is to copy the text to a different Google Docs file and modify it there.

Google Docs lacks a lot of options when it comes to editing PDF files. You can’t add new pages or images, or delete them.

Google and PDF

While Google Keep can’t work with PDF files, you can insert links to PDF files into your notes. However, Google Docs has somewhat limited options for handling PDFs. If you only need to open and view them, Google Docs is the perfect solution. For editing, you’re best off with a dedicated PDF reader/editor.

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