Googlebook review: Android on a laptop is still Android

Setting up a Googlebook is very simple for Android users. Just like setting up a new phone, you can scan a QR code with your current phone to copy your accounts, data, and apps automatically. You can be up and running in minutes and your phone will be deeply integrated with the operating system. Well, as long as it runs Android 17. That will be a sticking point, since most phones don’t have that update yet.

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

To stay in touch, your phone and Googlebook must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and switching to other networks can annoyingly break the connection. Even when devices appear to have a solid connection, I’ve rarely seen any sign of Google’s Continue On 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 helpful, but performance is poor to varying degrees and apps with system-level security features won’t work at all. You are also limited to one app at a time and they will not remain open in the background.

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