These 6 Google apps are irreplaceable on my Android phone
These 6 Google apps are irreplaceable on my Android phone
https://www.androidauthority.com/irreplaceable-best-google-apps-3644097/
Publish Date: 2026-02-28 05:35:00
Source Domain: www.androidauthority.com
Andy Walker / Android Authority
It’s fashionable to dislike Google, and I completely understand. Sometimes I even partake if the negative sentiment is warranted. We all have our gripes with Android, not to mention the Pixel smartphones that barely change year-on-year and Google Home, which is consistently battling one issue or another.
It’s essential that we call out companies when they falter and fail to learn from their mistakes. However, it’s also important to acknowledge the wins.
Case in point: Google’s apps and services. The company is responsible for a slew of apps across Android and other platforms. While some are terrible, there are a handful that I simply could not live without. They’re irreplaceable on my Android phone.
Which Google app can’t you live without?
12 votes
Google Keep
17%
The Google app
0%
Google Maps
33%
Google Photos
17%
Android Auto
25%
NotebookLM
8%
None, they’re all replaceable.
0%
Another Google app (elabroate in the comments).
0%
Google Keep
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
Google Keep is hugely underrated, and that’s probably due to its modest premise. It’s a simple sticky note app at its heart, but this makes it exceptionally malleable, bending to multiple use cases with ease.
Keep forms a core part of my productivity workflow. I use it to jot down temporary recipe ideas, long-term but ever-changing packing lists, momentary brain dumps, article briefs, and even the odd book or documentary that I want to check out. It’s the digital equivalent of that wire-bound notepad next to the telephone.
Going by that description, Keep seems pretty simple. It should be easy to replace in that case, correct? Well, no.
Google Keep is the digital equivalent of that wire-bound notepad next to the telephone.
The beauty of Keep is its accessibility. I can view and edit my notes on practically any device running any platform, and share them with friends and family who need further collaboration.
Keep does have its flaws. I do lament the removal of the reminder…
