5 Essential Google Apps I Live Without

When we talk about Google, most people think of searches. AndroidPit readers will think about Android. But the giant also offers a wealth of apps and services that are deeply embedded in many people's daily lives. These are the 5 Google apps I can't live without (and I don't even work!)

Google Docs

If you don't already use Google Docs, you should. Firstly, because the Google Office Package has all the features a home user, student, or small business owner needs, without having to shell out anything to buy licenses or subscriptions.

Your documents will be stored in the Google cloud and will be available on any PC or smartphone with an internet connection, and many times I started writing an article on my PC and ended up on my phone. And thanks to a great search engine, you'll never have to worry about where you put a prescription or contract.

google drive suite
Three of the apps that make up Google Docs: Sheets (Spreadsheet), Docs (Text) and Slides (Slideshow) / AndroidPIT

Secondly, Google Docs has some amazing features, such as voice typing, automatic document translation, and support for even more add-ons. I remember a time when voice typing required a powerful PC with expensive software, and the results weren't always good.

In addition, Google Docs has a very robust collaboration system, which is a key piece in my daily life. When I finish a text, I share it with my editor, who can make corrections and insert comments. When he finishes I can approve the modifications, reply to the notes and return it to him, until we get to the final text.

All without exchanging a file or attachment at all. Incidentally, Google Docs has real-time collaboration: You can write text four hands, each with its cursor on the document, seeing what the other is doing. sensational.

Oh, and if you think Google Docs is just a text editor, you're wrong. The package also includes Sheets, Slides, Online Storage and even a Keep.




Google Docs
Install on Google Play




Google Spreadsheets
Install on Google Play




Google presentations
Install on Google Play

GBoard (Google Keyboard)

If you have an older Android smartphone and still use the manufacturer's standard virtual keyboard, do yourself a favor and install GBoard. It's simply the best keyboard for Android, surpassing even favorites like Microsoft's Swiftkey (which I've been a user of for many years).

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GBoard replaces my old favorite, Swiftkey / ANDROIDPIT

GBoard has a very good auto-broker (learning from your typing), multiple language support (ideal for bilingual users), voice typing, personal dictionaries, integrated Google search and even search for GIFs. It also supports gesture typing (the famous Swype), for those who prefer this method. And the cherry on the cake, for many: you can use themes to leave the keyboard with your face.




Gboard the Google Keyboard
Install on Google Play

Gmail

I have been a Gmail user since the service debuted 15 years ago on April 1, 2004. At the beginning, the main attraction was the space for messages: at a time when it was common for a provider to give 20 MB of space for a mailbox And charging for extra space, having 1 GB free was unthinkable. So many thought the release was one of Google's famous April Fools.

The secret of Gmail's longevity that it didn't stop in time, and evolved with users (though not as much as some would like). Features like Google Drive integration are essential for me, and I love life-giving ringtones like automatic flight reminders that add to my calendar as soon as a boarding pass arrives in voicemail.

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Gmail essential / AndroidPIT

On Android, the best feature is the ability to work with multiple email accounts, even if they are not hosted on Google's service. So I can (try) track all my messages in one place.




Gmail
Install on Google Play

Google Maps

How can we live without Google Maps? Even I, who don't have a car and drive, use this app at least once a day, whether it's looking for a nearby store, finding the best bus route to a particular address, or comparing the value of a race between apps like 99 and Uber.

For those who drive, turn-by-turn instructions and traffic quality information are indispensable. By the way, lately I've been seeing more taxi drivers and apps using Google Maps than Waze. Be a trend?

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Bus arrival and landing advice are some of the many useful features of Google Maps / AndroidPIT (screenshot)

One thing I like to do: when I travel, I put the Hotel address where I'm staying on Google Maps, turn on Street View mode and take a virtual tour of the region. So I don't get lost when I arrive, and I already know where the pharmacies and convenience stores are.




Maps
Install on Google Play

YouTube

I had a boss who used to say that: YouTube is the greatest teacher in the world. It is true. OK, you can choose to spend hours watching YouTubers getting into a Nutella tub or sticking a Chinese phone down your throat, but if you look for it you'll also find great content with tips and tutorials on any topic you can imagine.

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YouTube can be a bottomless pit of useless videos or a great teacher. You choose. / AndroidPIT

It was on YouTube that I learned how to melt chocolate to make candy, to merge plastic grocery bags into a super-versatile canvas and to align the optical drive of a SEGA Saturn, among many other things. My eldest son uses teacher videos to reinforce the cram content. And my youngest daughter even learned a little English, because she keeps hunting down episodes of her favorite cartoons.

I'd just like Google to release background playback for all users instead of charging for it as a premium feature. Sometimes I just want the sound of a video while working on something else and have to keep the smartphone screen on and running out of battery power.




YouTube
Install on Google Play

Which Google apps are essential for you? Leave your suggestions and opinions in the comments below.

(tagsToTranslate) gmail (t) google docs (t) gboard (t) google keyboard (t) google maps (t) youtube (t) google tips (t) best google apps (t) best android apps (t) best smartphone apps