Google shuts down several of its products as well as services. The reason behind most of the shutdowns is a lack of traction among users, some of those lose relevance after newer tech and platforms come over the years.
List of Apps:
Inbox by Gmail (2015-2019)
This was launched in 2015, ‘Inbox by Gmail’ app worked similar to Gmail, however, it was largely a testing ground for new features. Most of the tested features were eventually integrated into the Gmail app.
Google+ (2011-2019)
Google+ Started in 2011, the company finally pulled the kill plug on its Facebook-rival Google+ social networking website in 2019 due to poor traction as well as user engagement.
Google Allo (2016-2019)
Allo was a social networking app, this is another one of Google’s most short-lived products. The app was Google’s attempt to capitalize on the instant messaging services market and as competition for WhatsApp.
Chromecast Audio (2015-2019)
This was introduced in 2015, Chromecast Audio hardware device was killed in 2019. It allowed users to stream audio from any device to any speaker with an audio input.
YouTube Gaming (2015-2019)
YouTube Gaming was launched in the same year as Chromecast Audio, this aimed to bring live as well as recorded game streaming videos to the masses. However, it failed to get enough traction, the service also joined the line of products killed by Google in 2019.
Areo (2017-2019)
Areo is yet another short-lived service, this was shut within two years of its India debut. Google Aero aimed to ease the process of its users getting in touch with various local services.
YouTube Messages (2017-2019)
YouTube Messages, as the name suggests, the direct messaging service was an attempt to make video-sharing as well as chatting easier on the platform.
Google Daydream (2016-2019)
Google Daydream was shut down in 2019, almost three years from its launch. The virtual reality platform worked on certain Android devices and never managed to take off massively.
Google Trips (2016-2019)
Google Trips met its demise almost three years after its launch. This was a handy travel app, which aimed to help users track their travel plans in a better way.
Blog Compass (2018-2019)
Google’s Blog Compass helped bloggers manage content, due to its integration with WordPress as well as Blogger.
Google Cloud Messaging (2012-2019)
Google Cloud Messaging was a notification service, it allowed developers to send messages between servers as well as client apps that were running on Android or Chrome.
Google Spotlight Stories (2013-2019)
Google Spotlight Stories was launched in 2013, this included several visual animated stories along with content for the mobile virtual reality headsets.
Google Jump (2015-2019)
Google Jump was a cloud-based VR solution, it provided developers the ability to create 360 content in 3D with automated stitching.
Dragonfly (2018-2019)
Dragonfly was shut down within a year of its launch, this was the company’s search engine which was specifically designed for China.
G Suite Training (2013-2019)
This was previously known as Synergyse, G Suite Training was a video-based training for 20 Google G Suite products in different languages.
Follow Your World (2011-2019)
Follow Your World was a feature for Google Maps, it allowed its users to register a point of interest, then get alerts later the imagery is updated.
Datally (2017-2019)
Datally was an app that was designed to help users save as well as manage their mobile data.
Google Bulletin (2018-2019)
Google Bulletin was also only available for a year before eventually being terminated by Google. The news service allowed users to share news and also allowed others in the same area to hear the stories.
Google Correlate (2011-2019)
Google’s Correlate service was used to help find search patterns that correspond with real-world trends. This service was shut down in 2019.
Science Journal (2016 – 2020)
Science Journal was killed over 1 year ago, this was a mobile app that helped run science experiments using your smartphone using the device’s onboard sensors. The app lasted for over 4 years.
Google Play Music (2011 – 2020)
Google Play Music was music as well as a podcast streaming service, it also was an online music locker. The service was almost 9 years old.
Trusted Contacts (2016 – 2020)
Trusted Contacts was terminated in 2020, it was an app that allowed users to share their location and also view the location of specific users. The service was almost 4 years old.
Hire by Google (2017 – 2020)
Google Hire was killed in 2020, it was an applicant tracking system aimed to help small to medium businesses distribute jobs, identify as well as attract candidates, and build strong relationships with candidates. Also, to efficiently manage the interview process. The service lasted for about 3 years old.
YouTube Community Contributions (2016 – 2020)
YouTube Community Contributions was killed in 2020, it allowed users to contribute translations for video titles or submit descriptions, along with closed captions or subtitles on YouTube content. The service lasted for over 4 years.
Google Photos Print (2020 – 2020)
Google Photos Print was killed in 2020, it was a subscription service that automatically selected the best ten photos from the last thirty days which were mailed to users’ homes. The service only lasted for 5 months.
Shoelace (2019 – 2020)
Shoelace was killed in 2020, the app was used to find group activities with others who share your interests. The service only lasted for 11 months.
Neighbourly (2018 – 2020)
Neighbourly was killed in 2020, it was a mobile app designed to help you learn about your neighborhood by asking other residents. It was also used to find out about local services as well as facilities in your area from people who live around you.
One Today (2013 – 2020)
One Today was killed in 2020, it was an app that allowed users to donate $1 to different organizations, while also discovering how their donations would be used. The app lasted for nearly 7 years.
YouTube Video Editor (2010 – 2017)
YouTube Video Editor was killed in 2017, it was a web-based tool for editing, merging, as well as adding special effects to video content. The service lasted for 7 years.
Google Spaces (2016 – 2017)
Google Spaces was killed in 2017, about 5 years ago, it was an app for group discussions as well as messaging. The service only lasted 9 months.
Androidify (2011 – 2020)
Androidify was killed in 2020, it allowed users to create a custom Android avatar for themselves as well as others. The service lasted for almost 9 years.
These were just a few of the services that were killed by Google this past decade, just the tip of the iceberg. The services that are shut down include some decade-old products.
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