Many years ago when Google tried to compete with the likes of Facebook, the company launched Google+. Given how integrated we are with Google’s products and services, Google+ seemed like a natural extension of that and on paper it was a good idea, but yet it didn’t quite take off the way Google had intended.Now in a support document on its website, Google has laid out their plans and timeline leading towards the shutting down of Google+. According to Google, “In December 2018, we announced our decision to shut down Google+ for consumers in April 2019 due to low usage and challenges involved in maintaining a successful product that meets consumers’ expectations. We want to thank you for being part of Google+ and provide next steps, including how to download your photos and other content.”
Starting 2nd of April, Google+ will be shut down and your account and any pages you created with Google+ will be deleted. Google has provided users with a guide and instructions on how to you can go about saving your data before that happens. However leading up to the 2nd of April date, Google notes that starting on the 4th of February, users will no longer be able to create new Google+ pages, communities, or events.
Google will also be removing Google+ comments on websites starting with Blogger on the 4th of February, and other websites from the 7th of March. All of this will only affect the consumer version of Google+, so if you’re an enterprise/G Suite customer, these changes should not affect you.