Author Replaced 4 Google Android Apps for More Control and Privacy
Updated
Updated · How-To Geek · Jun 17
Author Replaced 4 Google Android Apps for More Control and Privacy
3 articles · Updated · How-To Geek · Jun 17
Summary
Four Google apps—Files, Keep, Photos and YouTube Music—were dropped in favor of alternatives the author says offer stronger features, better organization and more control.
Files by Google was judged too basic for power users, lacking network storage support, broader archive handling and access to some system directories; preferred replacements were Material Files, Cx File Explorer and Solid Explorer.
Google Keep fell short once note volume grew, with its simple sticky-note structure contributing to missed reminders; the author switched to Joplin for end-to-end encryption and data-location control.
Google Photos and YouTube Music were replaced over long-term cloud costs, privacy concerns, compression and weak local-library handling, with Immich used for self-hosted photo backups and apps like Spotify, Tidal, Oto Music or Retro Music cited as better fits.
The broader takeaway is that Google’s default Android apps remain a solid baseline, but users willing to look beyond them can find more capable options tailored to specific needs.