I used to think that if you cared about customization and privacy, you had to ditch the default apps. However, after years of switching between different launcher apps, email clients, note-taking apps, and more, I’ve come to realize that sticking with Google’s defaults has actually improved my work-life balance.
Google Calendar is the hub for everything, seamlessly integrating emails, tasks, and maps into one system. Emails containing meeting details or scheduling language automatically turn into calendar events, making it easy to plan my days. This integration has reduced the effort I spend managing my setup and made it more efficient.
One of the most significant benefits is how Google Calendar surfaces email-based events at the right moment. When a meeting is coming up, notifications often include quick actions, such as joining the meet link directly from the email. On desktop, opening Calendar from Gmail’s side panel lets me add or edit events without leaving my inbox.
I no longer need to replace Google Messages with third-party alternatives, thanks to its reliable RCS features and seamless integration into Android. And when it comes to files, Google’s apps share a cloud layer, making it easy to save documents to Drive and jump between email and editable Docs files.
In the end, giving up my custom setup was the best decision for my productivity. The constant app swapping stopped paying off, and I’ve come to rely on Google’s defaults for day-to-day work.
Source: https://www.androidpolice.com/i-stopped-pretending-third-party-apps-better-than-google-apps