Android 15 Note-Taking Feature
Because of their large screens, Android tablets are fantastic devices to jot down notes, especially if you have a keyboard or stylus. However, on many Android tablets, launching a note-taking app like Google Keep requires unlocking the device first, which can slow down your productivity. Fortunately, Android will soon make it easier to quickly take notes on your tablet. The upcoming Android 15 update will let you set a default note-taking app that can not only be launched from the lock screen but can also insert screen grabs.
Google’s Presentation at Google I/O
At last month’s Google I/O developer conference, the company held a presentation where it shared tips on how developers can “increase user productivity with large screens & accessories.” During this presentation, Miguel Montemayor, a Developer Relations Engineer for Android, talked about the “new Notes role” in Android. As he explained, the Notes roles let users quickly access their favorite note-taking app from any screen so they can jot down ideas or take notes without switching apps.
Developers’ Role in Default Notes App
By default, most existing note-taking apps won’t qualify to be set as Android’s default notes app. Developers of note-taking apps will need to do a few things to register their apps. First, they need to create or modify one of their app’s activities to handle the CREATENOTE intent that Android sends when the user long-presses the lock screen shortcut or taps the tail button on their stylus. Second, they need to set the activity that handles the CREATENOTE intent to show when locked and turn the screen on. These attributes ensure that the app can be launched from the lock screen and can turn the device’s screen on respectively.
Content Capture Capability
Lastly, Google talked about the content capture capability of note-taking apps. Content capture is a feature that lets Android’s default notes app insert screen grabs. Developers can add a button or other UI affordance that launches the SystemUI’s new capture content activity for Note. The user can then capture all or part of the screen and save it to the note as an image that the user can then annotate. SystemUI only allows the default notes app to launch the capture content activity for Note, which is one reason why developers of note-taking apps are encouraged to update their apps.
