Many people that use Android devices have likely seen or heard of Google Play Services, but few actually know what it does and what the benefits are.
Google Play Services is an application that runs in the background of Android devices. While it may not seem like it’s doing anything, it’s actually doing a lot to ensure that your phone or tablet is running at optimal efficiency. The app keeps other Google applications up to date, provides authentication to your Google services, synchronizes your contacts and gives access to all of the latest privacy settings.
However, the best feature of Google Play Services is the way it integrates Googles functionalities with your other apps. This is a complicated way of saying that it helps all of your apps work in harmony with one another.
For example, Google Play Services allows other applications to access Google maps without leaving the app. So, if you’re using an app to book a cab or navigate to a location, the app can now use Google Maps’ functionalities to help make that happen. Google Play Services also works with your games. It can help ensure you don’t lose the progress you’ve made in a game by saving and syncing your saved games.
Other features include working with Google Drive to make sharing files from other apps easier, letting you use a single username and password to log into multiple accounts and apps and working with Google Cast to allow Android apps to cast content to other devices.
As you can see, Google Play Services does a lot to help your device run better. However, there are still people that question whether it’s really necessary. The fact is, even if you don’t want to enjoy the many benefits that the app provides, you’re still better off having the app installed on your device. Most of the apps available on the Google Play Store rely on Google Play Services to function properly. So, disabling or uninstalling the app would mean a number of your apps would simply stop working.
Still, there are some downsides of the app. A number of people complain that Google Play Services can tend to drain your battery. It also needs a number of different permissions in order to access all the areas of your device that it needs to. However, Google is continually working to provide updates and ensure the app works as well as possible. For all the benefits it provides, these two drawbacks are pretty minor.
Simply put, Android devices run and work better with Google Play services. The app is the unsung hero of your phone or tablet. If you have any sort of Android device, you definitely want to have Google Play Services installed on it. If you don’t already have the app, make sure to download it from the Google Play Store.
