Skip to main content

Download your archive and get ready to bid farewell to Google+ on April 2

After a security vulnerability impacted more than 500,000 of its users, Google announced in late 2018 that it would be shuttering the Google + social network. Now several months later, it is providing an update on the shutdown, noting that after April 2 all content on the platform will be deleted.

Though the date is still a couple months away, Google is warning that starting April 2, all Google+ pages will be removed. Content from personal Google+ accounts will also be deleted on the date, including photos and videos from Google+ in Album Archives. In the meantime, an archive of all your important information and specific data from the social network can still be downloaded easily  According to Google, the full deletion process will take a few months, and some Google+ content might remain visible to G Suite users.

To prepare for the full shutdown, Google will remove the ability to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities or events by February 4. You will also notice that Google+ sign-in buttons will stop working in the coming weeks, though you will still be able to sign in with your Google account as an alternate. Finally, if you’ve used Google+ as a comment system with Blogger, the feature will be removed by March 7, with full deletion coming on April 2.

“From all of us on the Google+ team, thank you for making Google+ such a special place. We are grateful for the talented group of artists, community builders, and thought leaders who made Google+ their home. It would not have been the same without your passion and dedication,” Google said.

Google originally cited a lack of engagement as part of its decision to shutter Google+. It claimed that the consumer version of the social network had low usage and engagement, with 90 percent of user sessions lasting than five seconds.

For anyone that still actively uses the social media platform, Google does have a suggestion on how to stay in touch with members of the community. “Between now and the shutdown, we recommend you let your followers know where they can see your content outside of Google+. Consider creating a post that lists your website, blog, social media channels, and other ways to stay in touch,” Google said.

Editors' Recommendations

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Android 13 is here, and you can download it on your Pixel phone right now
Official artwork of Android 13

The day has finally arrived for Android phones to get their big yearly update. Google released the stable Android 13 update today, and if you have a Pixel 4 or later model in your hand, the update notification will pop up soon. I’ve already got it on my Pixel 6a, and installation is underway.

Google says that phones from Samsung, OnePlus, Nokia, Oppo, Realme, and Xiaomi, among others, will start getting the update later this year. You can expect these brands to make an official announcement regarding the update road map for their respective phones in the next few days.

Read more
Google’s latest anti-spam change helps clean up your calendar
google calendar tips and tricks feature

Spam is one of the many enemies of the internet, and Google has come up with a new way to tackle it -- at least on your calendar. The search engine giant recently tweaked how events show on Google Calendar so that you'll only be able to display events from senders you know.

With the change, you'll still get email event invitations from unknown senders, but they will only appear in your calendar after you accept. This means that only meetings from people in your same company domain, people in your contacts list, or people you've interacted with before will be added to your calendar automatically. Typically, these are usually trusted people who won't be sending you spam meetings that can mess with your calendar.

Read more
Get your PC ready, the RTX 4090 could be truly enormous
An alleged render of Nvidia's RTX 3090 Ti GPU.

New renders for Nvidia’s upcoming next-gen RTX 40-series cards have materialized, seemingly confirming that certain models will indeed require large cooler slots.

One of the most reputable GPU insiders, Moore’s Law Is Dead, showcased the renders for both the standard GeForce RTX 4090, as well as the more powerful GeForce RTX 4090 Ti.

Read more