Google Apps on iOS??????

[Bballbenb]

Hey all,

I have recently been reading a lot about the Google Now app and all it's features. I have tried it out and it seems cool. I also have a gmail account. My question is, what is everyones thoughts and expertise on using google apps for the iphone? I see that they have a bunch of them on the app store. Is there any advantages or disadvantages to being invested in the google ecosystem on an iPhone? Or do you guys reccomend just sticking to the stock apple apps (siri, calender, maps, notes, etc.)

Also can anyone tell me or sum up the complaints/concerns of Google and Privacy? Is there anything to really be scared about that can happen to you because you use Google products?

Thanks.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Like with Apple, a lot of people are invested into the Google ecosystem and thankfully, Google app are available to them on their iOS devices. Personally, I have only 2 Google apps on my iPhone and that's Chrome and the Authenticator app. Ever since I switched back to the iPhone, I've made iCloud my primary source for email, calendar & contacts stuff. I still use Google, but not as my primary. The Google apps I use and have tested but no longer use work great on my iOS devices. As for what I recommend you do, I recommend you do what make sense to do for your situation. Anyway, great post. Take care...

 

[Bballbenb]

Thanks for all the replies up to this point. Can anyone go into detail about my other question?

"Also can anyone tell me or sum up the complaints/concerns of Google and Privacy? Is there anything to really be scared about that can happen to you because you use Google products?"

Thanks!

 

[Just_Me_D]

Thanks for all the replies up to this point. Can anyone go into detail about my other question?

"Also can anyone tell me or sum up the complaints/concerns of Google and Privacy? Is there anything to really be scared about that can happen to you because you use Google products?"

Thanks!

See Karen's reply just above yours. That pretty much sums it up.

 

[dalvik]

i don't find it useful. at least for me, for example, i had a few packages with tracking numbers from fedex and usps none if the cards were able to track it even though it had that function, it just doesn't recognize tracking number as a link like in ios mail app. another thing is i take the same train every morning to work so there is nothing much really can be advised to me by google now in this department. and for weather I have wearherbug...
deleted....

 

[mulasien]

Google user here.

One advantage of using Google services heavily over Apple's is that unless you're dead certain that you'll use nothing except Apple products for the rest of your life, you can easily switch to other platforms without disruption. You can get full use out of Google services on both iOS and Android platforms, and even go back and forth if you want. With Apple's services, you're pretty much tied to only iOS.

Privacy wise, my brutally honest opinion is that some folks on this site are wearing their tin foil hats a little too tight. Yes, Google uses your data to send anonymous data for targeted, relevant ads. They do not "sell" your data to third parties, though. This is all spelled out in their privacy policy if you really want to read on it.

But guess what, so does everyone else, including Facebook, and including Apple. If you're THAT paranoid about anyone using your info for advertisements (which you can easily ignore) in exchange for a free service, then burn your smartphone, throw out your computer, and just don't use the Internet....ever. Because that's the ONLY way to avoid being tracked.

In exchange for receiving targeted ads (which you can easily ignore) based on anonymous user data, you get a variety of really top notch services for free. Not a bad trade off, in my opinion.

 

[mulasien]

Apple's mail doesn't lock you into the Apple ecosystem. It uses standard imap protocols so you can access iCloud email from an Android device.

Good point.

However, I was thinking about the whole ecosystem of apps, like Maps, Mail, Calendar, Contacts, YouTube, Google Now, Google Voice, Drive, etc. which all mesh really well together. They also work well together in a desktop environment outside of mobile, better than Apple's, in my opinion.

Apple's version of Notes and Reminders are definitely iOS only. Are you able to use iCloud contacts and calendar on Android (I actually don't know)?

For the record, I use iCloud's Notes and Reminders on my iOS devices alongside my Google services.

This is of course just my experience, you are free to have a different view.

 

[kataran]

I picked the iphone cause I don't like the droid but use google a lot and found google now to be a great update and with locations off in privacy it works well and there when I need it and its hard to believe but seems to work better on iOS

I also use google Earth...Translator and google plus but haven't jumped into voice or calendar yet

 

[mulasien]

I also use google Earth...Translator and google plus but haven't jumped into voice or calendar yet

I find Google Voice to be more useful on Android than on iOS. It's main appeal on Android is that it subbed in as your phone's voicemail box over the stock one (which usually sucked). Doesn't have the same functionality within iOS.

 

[dc9super80]

I have Chrome as my back up web-broswer, google authenticator, Google Search (I don?t really use it though) and Google Maps as a back up service. Google Apps on my iPhone are great options to have, very welcomed indeed. However, I am not longer in the Google ecosystem as I was when I had my Android phone. I have since switched to iCloud email, I have a Mac so I prefer to use Safari and that syncs up nicely with my phone?s safari, I don?t use Google search and Apple Maps work fine where I live and are better integrated. So at the end of the day, I commend Google for make such fine apps, but they all are back up apps for me.

 

[Good OL MC]

I use Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Search here. It really is a preference sort of thing and I'm not sure you could say you could go wrong with stock anything, but in Gmail for instance I like that I can keep a similar workflow in the Google app as I do my inbox on a desktop. In Search I enjoy that it remembers my history a bit better and (now) has Google Now as a fun toy on the side. Either one of those two apps could be replaced by stock without much worry on my end.

The only Google app I choose out of a quality concern is Maps and that is because of a bad experience or two I've had with Apple's Maps. Generally speaking it is better than any other mapping service I've used - except for Google's.

As far as privacy concerns go...I'm resigned to the fact that any of the companies I currently use free services from will probably be making money off my data. It is a trade off for the services I use and as long as the data is secure I don't mind.