Sticky Google services I actually pay for

 

I've been meaning to write about this for some time now and I'm just getting around to it. Google has slowly built an ecosystem of not just devices but services that have become a part of me and my family's everyday life. I find these services to be very reliable, comparable to the competition, and worth the asking price.

Youtube Music/Premium - I have a family plan and been a subscriber since Google Play Music. The service was a little rough around the edges, to say the least at first but as Google does they iterated the hell out of the service. I now find it to be better than Google Play Music and see why the change was made. Looking forward to new features and updates in the future. Near future, I hope.

Youtube TV -  I've been a subscriber since early on and I love the service. Unlimited DVR is a killer feature along with profiles for each user. Google has added channels over time and lost some, unfortunately. But YTTV is a solid service and the best out of the bunch. Picture quality is unmatched. Features and UI are best in class. You can even subscribe to other services within YTTV such as HBO Max. 

Google One - A relatively good service that just seems to go under the radar. Google One is where you can add cloud storage for files (Google Drive) and pictures (Google Photos) in original quality. There are also value with the service if you are a Google user such as getting up to 10% in cash back on purchases, discount on hotels, a VPN, and extra photo editing features in Google Photos. The price you pay for Google One just about pays for itself with all of the benefits that are included. 

Google Play Pass - I will admit that I slept on this service until recently. I decided to give it a try when I found a couple of paid apps I’m interested in are included in the service. Cool, right. What I did not consider is how much my kids would use it and how they actually love the apps that are available. The other cool thing is that there are no in-app purchases or ads.

Nest Aware - Nest Aware is a service where you can pay to store video footage from your Nest cameras on the cloud. This service does not get talked about either. Well only when it's down. The service is very good and video playback is fast. Video playback is available on your mobile devices and on the web.

Man, Google has come a long way from where they were. I can see a future where all of these services will integrate further and work better with their existing and new products. I must say that I am here for it and happy to be in the sticky Google ecosystem.