Skip to main content

Using Google Keep on a Samsung S21? Don’t install One UI 4

Samsung has been busy rolling out Android 12 updates to a bunch of smartphones over the past few weeks. While the rollout has been largely bug-free, a specific subset of Samsung users has encountered a rather peculiar issue. Apparently, the move to Android 12 and One UI 4.0 seems to have caused an inadvertent bug with Google’s popular note-taking app Google Keep on select Samsung smartphones.

According to the user who first reported this problem, he noticed the issue after finding that an auto-numbered list on his Google Keep app behaving strangely. Whenever he tried to navigate through the list by scrolling, the bug caused extra numbers to be automatically added. The problem also manifests whenever users try to add newer items to the list. The user in question was using a Samsung Galaxy S21+.

The user also shared a screenshot showing the result of what the bug had done to his numbered list. Because he could not get Samsung or Google to respond to this bug, the only fix he could think of was to open the numbered list using a web browser on a PC, where it is correctly displayed.

A screengrab showing the issue with numbered lists on the Google Keep app on Samsung smartphones.
The latest One UI 4.0 update is messing up numbered lists on the Google Keep app. Tim O 8971/ Google Support Forums

While people have been talking about this peculiar problem for over two months at Google’s support forums, it gained substantial traction after a 9to5Google report prompted a Google volunteer contributor to confirm and acknowledge the problem exists. The contributor, a Diamond Product Expert on Google Forums, also revealed that there is no timeline for when to expect a fix as of yet. Chances are, we may only see a fix whenever Google issues an update for Google Keep on the Play Store.

Interestingly, not all smartphones running One UI 4.0 atop Android 12 seem to be affected by the problem. The issue appears to primarily affect some units of flagship-grade devices like the Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy Note 20. So far, there have been no reports of any Samsung Galaxy A series or M series phones facing this issue.

Nevertheless, if you happen to own one of the smartphones mentioned above, and also use Google Keep on Android a lot, it might be a good idea to hold off on the long-awaited Android 12 One UI 4.0 update for a couple of days. For those who don’t use Google Keep at all, we don’t see any reason you should push back the One UI update.

Editors' Recommendations

Rahul Srinivas
Rahul is a smartphone buff turned tech journalist who has been tinkering with all things mobile since the early 2000s. He has…
I’m still using the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra for one important reason
The back of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, focusing on its rear cameras.

It's been about five months since the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra hit the scene. In the time since then, the S23 Ultra has made it obvious why it's one of the best smartphones money can buy. It looks great, has incredible performance, and has one of the most versatile cameras on the market.

Although the Galaxy S23 Ultra isn't my main Android phone these days, it is one that I love coming back to — and for one reason. The camera! The entire camera system on the Galaxy S23 Ultra has proven its worth time and time again, and over the course of this year, one aspect of it has stood out among every other phone I've used.
The telephoto camera is too good

Read more
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S21 camera test: is it really any better?
Samsung Galaxy S23 in Cream and a S21 in Phantom Violet

Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S23, has arrived. While the top of the line S23 Ultra has a 200MP camera sensor, the 50MP main camera on the S23 and S23 Plus is nothing to scoff at. The entire S23 series also has the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, long-lasting battery life, and beautiful displays.

Though we’ve been enjoying the S23 so far, it’s definitely more of an iterative upgrade if you’re coming from a Galaxy S22. But what if you’re still using a Galaxy S21? Is the S23 worth upgrading to for better photos?

Read more
Samsung’s One UI 5 launches with iOS 16’s coolest feature
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in Phantom Black with S Pen.

Samsung has finally announced One UI 5, its take on Android 13. The company is focusing on improving the customizability of its operating system, refining its distinct design language, and adding some nice-to-have improvements as well.

Samsung's headlining feature here is lock screen customization. Although not exactly new to the company's phones, Samsung is bringing that functionality over to One UI's stock lock screen just after Apple unveiled something similar on iOS 16. You can tweak the wallpaper, clock style, notification design, and more. It's even been tweaked to look like Apple's implementation. Lock screen customization is a useful feature that you'll find on many Chinese Android phones. It's one that Google should implement in Android as a whole, especially considering its focus on individuality with Material You.

Read more