[Android 0]

Google’s got products to fill almost every consumer tech niche, from web search to smartphones to connected cameras to office software. For a long time, I liked that about the company; using Google’s services everywhere I could felt like a way to simplify my technological life. I’ve gotten a lot of value out of Google’s big, interconnected ecosystem over the years.

But as the company’s put its weight behind converting Search into a chatbot and adding Gemini-powered features I don’t use to every corner of every app and device, I’ve found myself wishing I wasn’t so invested in its products. I’ve stuck around mostly because of inertia: I’m used to Google, and it’s already got all my data, and moving to competing services seemed like a big undertaking.