14 DAY TRIAL // Google isn’t quite the biggest supporter of Windows 10 or Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile and this is one of the reasons why there are no official apps on these platforms.
So if you’re on Windows 10 Mobile, for example, and you want to access your Gmail account, you have no other option but to use Outlook or a browser to send and receive emails because Google simply doesn’t want to build a client for the platform.
And this is pretty much the case with all the other Google apps, as they’re missing from the new stores, except for the search app which has been around for a while, but which also does pretty much nothing.
Fortunately, however, the so-called Client for Hangouts app that’s available in the store is living proof not only that Google apps are absolutely needed on Windows 10 PC and Mobile, but also that third-parties are the only ones that can bring them in the store without Google’s apps.
This app isn’t new and already has more than 1,200 votes in the store, which shows that it’s really working well on both PCs and smartphones. It’s a universal app and is completely free, although you can remove ads with in-app purchases.
Although there are some bugs and the app still needs some refinements here and there, it works pretty smoothly and judging from the number of votes in the store, it’s very clear that there’s a growing appetite for Google apps on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.
Google apps on Windows 10? Not too soon!
Google has always remained tight-lipped on plans to bring apps on Windows phones and Windows 10 devices, but rumors that eventually proved inaccurate claimed that Microsoft worked together with the search giant for official clients for Maps, Gmail and a few other services that would run on these devices.
For the moment, however, these apps are nowhere to be seen and the chances are that they’ll not arrive in stores anytime soon given the fact that Google doesn’t seem to be willing to join the universal app bandwagon.
And without access to Google Play services, it’s also difficult for devs to create third-party alternatives, so for the moment, it’s all a long and painful wait for those who hope to access apps such as Google Maps on their Windows phones.
