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How to you guys incorporate Google into your iOS and macOS life?

gobluejd

gobluejd

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 20, 2012
70
27
NW Indiana
I started out with a Blackberry, eventually moved to Android, then to iPhone/MAC (about 5 years ago). The last year or 2 I have been battling with what Apps/Services to use. For example, GMAIL or Apple Mail on iPhone, ical or Google Calendar? Stuff like this has it's pros and cons making me go insane!!!! It seems you have to be full in with one right?

Here is what I use now.

Everything iOS and macOS. Stock Calendars, Mail, Contacts, Reminders, Notes etc. All with a GMAIL address. I do not import or sync ANYTHING to Google Apps of the same....

HOWEVER - Some Google Elements are starting to make meI want to start using them and not sure how to do it. I get dizzy and want to drink when I start wondering:

Is Google Contacts better to manager all my contacts? Is Google Calendar better? and so on and so on....

I guess I just want to know how everyone else uses Google Apps with thier iphone and MAC's?
 
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I use Google for contacts and calendars because it plays better with other platforms and iCloud doesn't offer any advantage over Google in this area.

I use iCloud for everything else except E-Mail, where I have my own domain.
 
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zorinlynx said:
I use Google for contacts and calendars because it plays better with other platforms and iCloud doesn't offer any advantage over Google in this area.

I use iCloud for everything else except E-Mail, where I have my own domain.
Click to expand...

So do you view/edit contacts and calendar using macIOS/iOS apps or use Google. For contacts on iPhone, do you get High res contact pictures (full screen) when someone calls?

What about Maps? Chrome or Safari?

I am real curious how others use....
[doublepost=1489170060][/doublepost]
gobluejd said:
So do you view/edit contacts and calendar using macIOS/iOS apps or use Google. For contacts on iPhone, do you get High res contact pictures (full screen) when someone calls?

What about Maps? Chrome or Safari?

I am real curious how others use....
Click to expand...

I apologize!!! Considering I was a moderator over at Android Forms for years....I should know better than to have search first....I originally posted this over on CultCast Reddit.....

Moderator - Feel free to close.
 
I find I use mail app on my iPhone for iCloud mail outlook.com and yahoo. I then use type app for gmail and O365. This give me push for gmail and quiet DND days and hours so my work mail doesn't distract me from personal life!

Contacts now fully syncing to my iCloud now that I'm on iPhone. I don't like to have all going through one account.
 
I also came to iPhone from a BlackBerry, but I already had a Mac. I use all iOS apps on my iPhone. Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Safari, etc. I do occasionally use the Google Drive suite. On my Mac I use stock Mail, Calendar, and Contacts, but I do use Google Chrome for web browsing.
 
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I generally use stock Apple apps for everything -became used to them- and see no reason to change.
 
I don't anymore, to be honest. I've just switched to Outlook for my email (and Apple ID), and just using that one central email for everything (whether it be through my Apple ID or Microsoft account).

I still have a Google account for YouTube, but that's pretty much it. I'm not going to use Gmail as long as Apple can't be bothered to build in push support, and I'm not going to use iCloud Mail because it's a joke.
 
I use Google only for certain things such as Books and for integrating other accounts. The main way I integrate Google into my Apple ecosystem would be to simply use their apps. Not that difficult unless you've got a ton of data in Google.
 
Use Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Contacts and have done for about 7 years i think. First started using them on my 3GS before iCloud stuff as it allowed me to access them from my home PC, work PC and phone then later on i got an iPad and was able to access them all from there as well. Couple of times i've looked at moving to iCloud but never been quite worth the hassle of it all. Yes i've lost the Push email from Gmail a while back but i'm not desperate enough to see them that i need them at the most 15mins after they've been sent and if i know someone is sending me something i'll refresh manually.

Very handy being able to update from one of 3 or 4 places and the other devices all sync up.
 
Thanks for the replies....for those saying the use the macOS and iOS apps, does that also mean they are HOSTED by iCloud or GMAIL....(ie..use gmail for contacts, but open/use via Apple Apps - contacts, mail, etc).
 
gobluejd said:
I started out with a Blackberry, eventually moved to Android, then to iPhone/MAC (about 5 years ago). The last year or 2 I have been battling with what Apps/Services to use. For example, GMAIL or Apple Mail on iPhone, ical or Google Calendar? Stuff like this has it's pros and cons making me go insane!!!! It seems you have to be full in with one right?

Here is what I use now.

Everything iOS and macOS. Stock Calendars, Mail, Contacts, Reminders, Notes etc. All with a GMAIL address. I do not import or sync ANYTHING to Google Apps of the same....

HOWEVER - Some Google Elements are starting to make meI want to start using them and not sure how to do it. I get dizzy and want to drink when I start wondering:

Is Google Contacts better to manager all my contacts? Is Google Calendar better? and so on and so on....

I guess I just want to know how everyone else uses Google Apps with thier iphone and MAC's?
Click to expand...
I use my gmail account in the stock mail app works great contacts synced from gmail but are integrated into iCloud although it all sorta coexist fine, so there isn't issues with my real google contacts and if I ever get a android phone I'll just export a fresh copy of my iCloud contacts back into Google contacts. YouTube app as well as Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive app. It all is quick and seamless Google does a decent job of keeping there apps in decent shape
 
gobluejd said:
Thanks for the replies....for those saying the use the macOS and iOS apps, does that also mean they are HOSTED by iCloud or GMAIL....(ie..use gmail for contacts, but open/use via Apple Apps - contacts, mail, etc).
Click to expand...
Yes i just access my email, calendar and contacts via the stock iOS apps on my iPhone and iPad connected via the Google options in the various set up processes. Was easy to set up and works fine....was better before Google got all precious and turned off Exchange support but still works fine.
 
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I'm all apple through and through, I just use gmail (setup in apples mail app) and google drive (sometimes, but mostly dropbox because it integrates well with Office for iOS and can be accessed on other systems)
 
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Google does have a place - several actually - in an Apple environment.

It is my default search engine.

I have a Google email account as a backup (hardly ever used). Gmail app to go with it on iOS.

Google Maps is my go-to map program for both MacOS and iOS. Much better coverage of hiking trails and better walking and biking directions than available in Apple Maps.

I use Google Voice & Hangouts to make phone calls on my iPod Touch.
 
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I love and use daily Google things but I don't always prefer to use their app though instead I use third party apps.

Agenda/Calendar - Week Calendar app (use it to connect 2 Google Calendars to it of my wife and from myself)
E-mail/Gmail - Email by Easylido / Spark / Airmail - current use Email by Easylido as my main app
Keyboard - Gboard (although not perfect yet, words aren't always correct)
Google Maps - Google Maps app
Google Keep - Google Keep app, although there are better options out there (e.g. Microsoft OneNote)
Google Drive - Google Drive app
YouTube - YouTube or ProTube app

I've got also various third party apps connect to both Google Drive and also Dropbox to e.g. get documents, music.
 
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I don't trust Google to treat me like a customer rather than a product, so other than using their search engine and occasionally Google Maps to compare directions (neither of which I log in to do), I try to avoid using their products at all. I have an old email address that I haven't closed but I never send out anything from it.
 
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gobluejd said:
Thanks for the replies....for those saying the use the macOS and iOS apps, does that also mean they are HOSTED by iCloud or GMAIL....(ie..use gmail for contacts, but open/use via Apple Apps - contacts, mail, etc).
Click to expand...

Yup. I have a personal Gmail account and two Google Mail accounts for school along with an exchange account for work and my iCloud account that I never use.

The only iOS Google apps I use are Google Maps and Youtube as well as Google Drive occasionally.
 
I mainly use google calendar to share with my family members in my home.

Other than that I love hangouts/gvoice as my craigslist #

Can't forget YouTube.
 
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eyeseeyou said:
I mainly use google calendar to share with my family members in my home.

Other than that I love hangouts/gvoice as my craigslist #

Can't forget YouTube.
Click to expand...

I almost forgot about Hangouts there. I haven't used it in a while but it was working great though for calls and also works really stable on laptop/desktop to share screens btw much better then with Skype.
 
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I'm a bit complicated. I like a unified calendar experience. I have a personal GMAIL account, a GApps acount for a place I volunteer at amd a O365 work account. My personnal GMAIL calendar is shared with my wife.

I use the Gmail app for my personal and volunteer emails.

I use the native iOS mail app for work. But I also connect the iOS mail app to my Gmail account and sync calendars and contacts, so they are available to the native iOS apps. I then use Readdle's Calendar app to display calendars.
 
I bought my own domain and have email/apps hosted through google apps with no-ip as the DNS provider. This was back when registering a domain was free.

Now pretty much everything I do with my windows, android, mac, or idevices is through google and it all syncs nicely.
 
I have google maps but recently switched over to apple maps. Maps has gotten a lot better and looks better but google maps, at least in my area, has much better data. Otherwise I use apples stock apps. Having a Mac to connect it to certainly helps with that integration.
 
For me it is about what provides the easiest and best experience for my needs.

I use Gmail, via Airmail app, since Gmail is a superior free email service.

I use Google Maps since it is far better, still, than Apple Maps

I use Google Photos, because it too is a far better product than iCloud Photo Library

But, I use iCloud calendars because I want push.

Whatever provides the best tool and experience I go with. No need to commit to one based on silly principle
 
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