
Did you know that you can access simplified versions of G Suite and third party applications in other G Suite applications such as Docs, sheets, and Gmail? All you need to do is open the side panel. One really handy use for side panel is to access Google Keep, the note application. This syncs with any Keep location including your phone. This means you can take meeting notes on your mobile device and quickly access them from within a more formal Google Doc later. Here’s how.
Locating your Keep notes
Simply viewing your keep notes from within a document is easy. First, access the side panel by clicking the small arrow at the bottom right of the page. Keep will be the second option on the default view.

Clicking on Keep will open your basics notes with your newest notes at the top. Within certain applications, such as Docs pictured below, any notes that have been associated with the document will be under the related section.

This is a simplified version of Keep and is missing some features. If you need those features, click the dot dot dot options menu on any note to open the full version of Keep.

Creating a new Keep note from the side panel
The side panel has a one click option to “take a note” right at the top of the panel.

Click the plus sign or right on the words to open fields for a title and the body of the note.

Enter your information and click done to save the note.

If you are in a file application such as a Doc or a Sheet, this note will automatically be associated with this document. You can remove the relation by hovering over the title of the file located at the bottom of the note, and then click the x.

Incorporating Keep notes into Docs and other files
Sometimes you will have keep notes that you want to add to the document you’re working on. There are two very easy and quick ways to do this that aren’t using copy and paste shortcuts.
The first way is to use the options menu indicated by the vertical dot dot dot. Within this menu is the option to add to document. Clicking this will add the text from your note to wherever your cursor was in the file.

The second option is to simply drag and drop the note into the document. As before the text will appear as written in the note. While this option seems easier, it is sometimes difficult to click on the right part of the note that will drag it instead of highlighting the title.

More side panel uses
The side panel has more default options such as Calendar and Tasks, but also allows for third party add-ons for many of your favorite G Suite apps. Familiarize yourself with this feature and help increase your organization and productivity.
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