Do you believe Google services are here to stay?

It’s no secret that Google loves to introduce new products, only to unceremoniously drop support after a few years. There’s a reason the term “Google Graveyard” became an acronym, and the company has been on a killing spree lately. With so many products out there, it’s no wonder that some in the tech industry advocate to stop trusting brands. After all, many great apps have been discontinued recently.

Of course, the big one recently was Google Podcasts. As a self-proclaimed podcast aficionado, I had never given Google’s products much thought. Of course, this had its advantages too. The ability to sync with devices like the Nest Hub was very useful. However, we found that such a basic application was too slow to add new functionality in any meaningful way. Despite being released for Android in 2018, it wasn’t until the last few days of 2020 that Podcasts started supporting adding custom RSS feeds, the absolute cornerstone of podcasting. It’s from. Who does Google think it is Spotify?

Well, it’s because YouTube Music acts as a replacement for Google Podcasts, which frankly I think is pretty disappointing. While the podcasts were lackluster, I appreciated the company’s attempt to follow the traditional model of separating podcast episodes from your music library, something you can’t say about Spotify. . And while there’s no doubt that YouTube Music is a more open platform than its closest rivals, in fact you can add custom RSS to YouTube Music, it’s still more of a podcast experience than a truly great user experience. It feels like a play to monetize.

Of course, Podcasts isn’t the only app Google has removed recently. Hell, it’s not even the latest one. This week we learned that Google plans to retire One VPN. Because, in the company’s own words, no one is using it. Meanwhile, Nest Secure and DropCam finally went offline this week, leaving him less than a month before users claimed replacements from his ADT. Google also supports some smaller apps. Keen, a Pinterest clone I didn’t know existed, shut down late last month, while Jamboard’s hardware and software is scheduled to be retired by the end of his 2024.

related

Here’s what Google killed in 2023

All the consumer services Google took off our hands this year

And that’s just the latest announcement. The further back we go back, the worse things look for Google. But what I’m interested in is how years of deprecated apps have affected AP readers’ trust in the company. Expect to hear what you’ll hear about I/O in the next month, especially as Google looks to move deeper into its new AI platform. The obvious lack of trust in what this company is working on will no doubt affect its app. Some points.

So, do you believe that Google’s products are here to stay? This is a complex question, but we’ve provided four basic answers that should cover enough for most readers. Whether you’re excited about living on the cutting edge, regardless of the risks, or you’ve completely given up on what Google is up to behind the scenes, we’d love to hear from you. If you have a more complex answer, be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments.