GHub for Windows 10 conveniently consolidates all your Google services

The Google ecosystem is ubiquitous these days. Some services, such as Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Drive, have competition, while others, such as YouTube, realistically don't. But Google hasn't, and seemingly won't, release first-party apps for its services on Windows 10.

You can fill this gap in some cases by turning to third-party alternatives, like myTube!, but in other cases, you have to stick to the web. GHub is somewhat of a merger of these ideas. It's a third-party Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app that wraps up the web versions of Google's services. It's available on Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Xbox One, Surface Hub, and HoloLens. And there is a free version with ads called GHub and a paid version called GHub U available for $0.99.

Keeping Google together

The main benefit of using GHub is that it keeps all of your Google services together without requiring you to open a bunch of tabs in a browser. Once you login on one of them, your login details extend throughout the app and the layout is easy to use.

GHub is set up with a hamburger menu on the left that allows you to quickly jump between any of the supported services. The full list is long but the big ones are there including Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Hangouts. The app's description claims Google Play is also supported but it's not, which is disappointing.

There isn't much more to the app. You can change the menu color from light to dark but the real reason to use this app is for speed and convenience, and it does a good job at facilitating those.

Limitations of GHub

Because GHub is a collection of web-wrappers, it doesn't have all the features of a native app experience. For example, you can look at Google Maps in full detail but you can't get turn-by-turn directions to use it as a GPS.

This means that GHub is what the app's name suggests: a hub for viewing and using Google services. It is not a replacement for first- or dedicated third-party apps.

Overall thoughts on GHub

GHub aims to meet a need for Windows users who are part of the Google ecosystem. The app has limitations because of its nature of relying on web experiences, but it's worth taking a look at, especially if you're on Windows 10 Mobile.

Despite these limitations, it creates an easy to navigate area that collects all of your Google services into one convenient place.

If you don't want to spend money right away, remember that there are two versions of the app, and one is free.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.