Google Plus is Shutting Down and Being Deleted

According to an email sent early this morning to Google+ consumers and Google+ account managers, Google will be shutting down its Google Plus service on April 2th and begin deleting content from those accounts.

Google Plus, once hailed as the company’s answer to Facebook, has struggled through a series of breach attempts, low adoption, and even even lower usage. According to StatisticBrain, 91% of Google Plus accounts were empty, meaning they were either created by spam accounts, or just to access other Google services.

Only the Good Die Young

It’s kind of a shame for marketers to see Google Plus go. A Google Plus page for your business optimized your Google My Business listings. That expanded integration provided marketers built-in analytics, the ability for users to chat with your business directly from your listing, and more. For most businesses, this was the #1 reason to have a Google Plus account in the first place.  It certainly was for us.

In the email notification, Google uses just 14 words to explain the demise of its (very expensive) endeavor.

…low usage and challenges involved in maintaining a successful product that meets consumers’ expectations.

What the Shutdown Means to You

As of February 4th, just three days from today, you will no longer be able to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities, or events. On April 2nd, your Google+ account and any Google+ pages you created will be shut down and they will begin deleting your content.

If you’re a Google+ Community owner or moderator, you may download and save your data for your Google+ Community. Starting early March 2019, additional data will be available for download, including author, body, and photos for every community post in a public community.
Learn more.

If you sign in to sites and apps using the Google+ Sign-in button, these buttons will stop working in the coming weeks but in some cases may be replaced by a Google Sign-in button. You’ll still be able to sign in with your Google Account wherever you see Google Sign-in buttons.
Learn more.

If you’ve used Google+ for comments on your own or other sites, this feature will be removed from Blogger by February 4th and other sites by March 7th. All your Google+ comments on all sites will be deleted starting April 2, 2019.
Learn more.

If you’re a G Suite customer, Google+ for your G Suite account should remain active. Contact your G Suite administrator for more details. You can also expect a new look and new features soon.
Learn more.

If you’re a developer using Google+ APIs or Google+ Sign-in, click here to see how this will impact you.

See their full FAQ for more details and updates leading up to the shutdown of Google Plus and its eventual deletion.