Google to discontinue these 6 services in 2024
Google is set to discontinue several of its services next year, including Podcasts and Jamboard. This move is part of the tech giant's ongoing efforts to streamline its services and phase out outdated features. Starting January 2024, Play Movies & TV and Gmail's Basic HTML view will be terminated. Moreover, users have been provided with instructions on how to access their purchased content from Play Movies & TV, while Gmail's Basic HTML view will be replaced with the Standard view.
Accessing purchased content from Play Movies & TV
From January 17, 2024, users can access their purchased content from Play Movies & TV in the "Your Library" row under the Shop tab in Google Play, but only on TVs and streaming devices powered by Android TV. For Android TV cable or set-top boxes, the content will be accessible through the YouTube app, where users can continue buying and renting movies and shows. On browsers, users must visit YouTube's website to access their old purchases and buy/rent new content.
Gmail to lose decade-old HTML view feature
Gmail's Basic HTML view, designed for slower connections and legacy browsers, will also be disabled in early January 2024. "The Gmail Basic HTML views are previous versions of Gmail that were replaced by their modern successors 10+ years ago and do not include full Gmail feature functionality," said Google. After the deadline, Gmail will automatically switch to the Standard view. Notably, the Basic HTML view lacks features like chat, spell check, search filters, keyboard shortcuts, and rich formatting.
Podcasts app to close down in April 2024
Another Google service that will be shuttered in 2024 is its standalone Podcasts app. The tech giant will instead start offering podcasts within YouTube Music. To help users shift to YouTube Music, Google will offer a migration tool and the option to add podcast RSS feeds to their YouTube Music library. To recall, the Google Podcasts app debuted on Android in 2018 and was later introduced on iOS in 2020. It will close down in April 2024.
Nest Secure to also be sunset in April
Starting April 8, Google will end support for some home products, too, including Nest Secure and Dropcam. Nest Secure is Google's home alarm system that comes along with Nest Guard, Nest Detect, and Nest Tag, all of which work via the Nest App. From the said deadline, the Nest app won't connect to the internet. Dropcam is Google Nest's Wi-Fi-enabled video-streaming camera, which debuted over a decade ago. The tech giant cites early hardware as challenging to keep up with.
Google's Universal Analytics 360
Google's Universal Analytics 360 (UA360) platform, an enterprise-level analytical tool, will be sunset in July 2024. Both Google's Universal Analytics (UA) and UA360 will be replaced with Google Analytics 4, which is designed to help businesses collect customer data across web and mobile apps.
Jamboard winds down in late 2024
Google will also end Jamboard, a collaborative whiteboarding app, and its associated hardware device. After December 31, 2024, users will not be able to view their Jams, and all Jam data will be permanently deleted. Google says it will help users transition to other whiteboard tools, including FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro.
