Google+ Consumer Shutdown Set for April 2nd After Security Issues
Google confirms that the consumer version of Google+ officially shuts down on April 2nd, accelerating the timeline after recent security bugs. Users have a narrow window to download their photos and posts before permanent deletion begins.
Google sets the final shutdown date for the consumer version of Google+ on April 2nd, 2019, bringing a definitive end to the polarizing social network. The company accelerates this closure after a second major security bug impacts millions of users, prompting Google to clear the platform from the web without delay. Google cites low usage and the difficulty of maintaining a successful product as the primary reasons for this termination.
The phased shutdown begins immediately, with Google stopping the creation of new profiles, pages, communities, and events on February 4th. Blogger drops Google+ comments on this same date, and other sites lose this functionality by March 7th. Throughout March, community moderators gain access to special tools to download their public posts, photos, and author data before the final deletion phase.
On April 2nd, all consumer Google+ accounts and pages go offline permanently as the system starts deleting photos, videos, and posts that users do not back up to Google Photos. This complete deletion process takes a few months to finish, meaning some residual data lingers temporarily during the wipe. G Suite enterprise users keep their access, but standard consumers lose all platform entry points, including associated APIs and sign-in buttons.