What to know
- Google Essentials app, that includes popular Google services and apps for easy download and installation, is coming to new HP PCs.
- Google Essentials will let you install Google services while setting up PC, also accessible from the Start menu.
- 2-month free trial of Google One AI 100 GB plan for eligible users.
- Wider rollout to other brands expected in the future.
Google will soon give you quick access to download and install its suite of apps in Windows. The tech giant’s new Google Essentials app is slated to debut on upcoming HP computers, offering a streamlined way to access many Google apps and services from a single app.
With Google Essentials, users can now grab their favorite Google tools in one fell swoop.
The app will arrive with upcoming HP laptops first. As you fire up your new computer for the first time, you’ll have the option to install Google’s core apps right off the bat. No more navigating through countless menus or scouring the internet for download links. It’s all there, ready and waiting.
Once your PC is up and running, Google Essentials will be just a click away in your Start menu. As if that wasn’t enough, Google is sweetening the deal for eligible users. They’re offering a two-month free trial of the Google One AI 100 GB subscription plan. That’s a hefty chunk of cloud storage to play with, not to mention the AI-powered features that come along for the ride.
You’ll be able to uninstall the services as well as the Essentials app anytime, thankfully.
Although Google hasn’t listed exactly which apps and services will be available via the Google Essentials app, the cover image on Google’s blog page include the following: Google Messages, Play Store, Sheets, Photos, Docs, Quick Share, Drive, Google One, as well as Google Play Games so you can try out games like Clash of Clans and CookieRun: Tower of Adventures on your new PC.
The app will be available on HP only at first, including Spectre, Envy, Pavilion, OMEN, and Victus models. Google plans to release its Essentials app on more Windows PC brands.
This move by Google is more than just a convenience play. It’s a bold step into Microsoft’s home turf, offering Windows users a taste of the Google ecosystem without ever leaving their PC. Whether this will spark a new chapter in the tech giants’ rivalry remains to be seen.
For now, HP users can look forward to a more Google-friendly future on their Windows machines. As for the rest of us? We’ll be watching this space with keen interest.
