Google found success for many of their products, but that success clearly wasn’t the case for every product they ever made. Some ended up failing, either not being marketed to the public even though they had been announced or being killed off only a few years after launch.
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7 Dead Google Projects That Many People Miss
Here are some dead Google projects that many people miss and why.
1. Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts is Google’s attempt to provide a platform for listening to podcasts. Google Podcasts was first launched for free for Android and iOS in August 2018, before it was announced at the end of 2023 that the application would be shut down in April 2024.
Many people miss Google Podcasts because this application is an easy and cheap podcast listening platform because users don’t have to pay a penny to use it.
2. Stadia
Stadia was launched in November 2019 and is now considered one of Google’s most failed products. Stadia itself is a game streaming service via the cloud that allows users to play their favorite games on TV or cellphone.
In September 2022, Google announced that Stadia would be shutting down in 2023. Even though it received a lot of criticism, Stadia presented a concept that was actually interesting. Projects like Stadia require more effort and unfortunately, Google can’t provide that effort.
3. Google+
First launched in 2011, Google+ had 500 million users as of December 2012. Through Google+, users can share their favorite photos or external links with other users, as well as make comments on other users’ posts.
Google+ was shut down in April 2019 but now lives on in the form of Google Currents. Google+ is confusing at first, but it can be used to find interesting content, as well as being an alternative that is no less interesting than Facebook.
4. Google
Back in 2005, Google launched iGoogle which allowed users to choose their own themes from their Google UI, while adding various types of widgets. Users can see weather information, calendars and much more on the Google homepage.
Unfortunately, iGoogle officially died in 2013. The current Google homepage is more than sufficient for surfing the internet, but it could be more interesting if users could customize its appearance according to their preferences.
5. Google Reader
Google Reader exists to give users an easy way to get important stories or content based on their interests. After being released in October 2005, Google Reader lasted for almost 8 years before finally closing in July 2013.
Google Reader is quite missed because it can be very helpful in the modern internet era like today where the amount of information available is unlimited. Google Reader could be a solution for consuming certain reading materials without having to search for them manually.
6. Picasa
Picasa was one of the first platforms to provide online photo management when it was launched in 2002. Apart from that, Picasa also allows users to edit photos. Picasa was shut down in 2016 and its editing features were integrated into Google Photos.
Unfortunately, users have to subscribe first if they want to access all the editing features in Google Photos, which Google didn’t implement in Picasa years ago.
7. Google Cardboard
Finally, there is Google Cardboard which allows users to put their cellphone in a ‘VR headset’ made of cardboard and enjoy VR content without having to spend millions to buy a VR headset. Google sold millions of Google Cardboards but unfortunately, this product died in March 2021.
Google Cardboard was created to increase interest in VR technology but ended up being an interesting way to see how VR works more affordably. That was a review of several dead Google projects that many people miss. Is there your favorite project on the list above?