Luminar and Fantastical bring premium, desktop-class apps to Googlebook

One of the biggest lingering questions surrounding the launch of Googlebook has been app support. While the platform runs native Android apps via the Play Store, scaling mobile applications to a desktop-sized screen doesn’t always yield the best results. However, right out of the gate, we are already seeing major developers step up to the plate.

Just this week, two massive productivity and creative apps – Luminar and Fantastical -have launched fully optimized experiences specifically tailored for Googlebook. Having developers put in the work to build native, desktop-class experiences on day one is a huge vote of confidence for the new platform. Here is a look at what these heavyweight additions bring to the table.

Luminar brings professional-grade photo editing with “Continue On” support

For creators, Luminar has debuted a completely rebuilt photo editing app for Googlebook. Rather than just a stretched-out mobile port, this release meets Google’s “Tier 1” quality standards for the platform. That means it is built specifically for the laptop form factor, featuring full mouse and keyboard support, resizable windows, keyboard shortcuts, hover states, and proper drag-and-drop file handling.

The app includes features usually associated with professional editing right at launch, including Generative Erase, HDR Merge, and batch editing. Even better, it takes full advantage of the Googlebook ecosystem by supporting “Continue On”. This means you can start tweaking a photo on your Android phone and seamlessly finish the edit on your Googlebook using the exact same account.

Googlebook owners can download Luminar via the Play Store, and a temporary offer grants 12 months of free access before requiring a one-time purchase to permanently unlock premium features.

Fantastical finally makes its Android debut (sort of)

If you have ever used iOS or macOS, you likely know Fantastical. It is widely regarded as one of the best calendar apps on the market, famous for its natural-language event creation. While it eventually made the jump to Windows, an Android version has long been a white whale for Flexibits fans.

Now, Fantastical is finally making its Android debut – exclusively on Googlebook. Flexibits co-founder Michael Simmons noted that development started after Google showed the team a demo of the new laptop platform. While the underlying app runs on Android, it is currently tailored solely for the Googlebook desktop experience; phone and tablet versions won’t arrive until sometime in 2027.

If you already use Fantastical on another platform, you can access the Googlebook version at no additional charge. For new users, individual pricing starts at $57 per year, with a family plan available for $90 annually and a less powerful free tier also available.

Having this caliber of software ready right away for Googlebook is a fantastic sign for the future of the platform, for sure. While I’ve been pretty stymied on the gaming front thus far, news like this makes me quite hopeful that other big developers will see the potential of Googlebook OS and make the needed tweaks to take advantage of this new platform.