Googlebook review: Android on a laptop is still Android

Setting up a Googlebook is a breeze for Android users. Just like setting up a new phone, you can scan a QR code with your current phone to automatically copy your accounts, data and apps. You can be up and running in minutes and your phone will integrate deeply with the operating system. Well, provided it’s running Android 17. This is going to be a sticking point, as most phones don’t have this update yet.

With Google’s “Better Together” services, a Google Book can access files on your Android 17 phone, sync notifications, remember where you left off in apps, and even mirror apps on your phone. This all sounds great, and when it works, the experience can be good. However, there are various limitations and bugs that get in the way.

To stay in touch, the phone and Googlebook must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and switching to other networks can interrupt the connection inconveniently. Even when devices appear to have a solid connection, I’ve rarely seen any hint of Google’s Continue feature, which is supposed to let you pick up where you left off in a phone app. Mirroring phone apps to your laptop can also be convenient, but the performance is more or less bad and apps with system-level security features won’t work at all. You’re also limited to just one app at a time and they won’t stay open in the background.

Accessing your phone’s files from the laptop is a good idea, but the transfer speed is often slow. Even more annoying, the connection only goes one way: the Files app on the Googlebook can see your phone, but the Google Files app on a phone can’t see the Googlebook. Speaking of the Files app, this is emblematic of how far behind Google is when it comes to desktop software. The app lacks basic elements like tabs and support for network shares. It’s nice that it can access my phone, but it seems very restrictive if you’re used to Finder or Windows Explorer.