What You Need to Know about the Google+ Shutdown

It’s been a busy few months in the world of Google+! Just this past October, Google announced that they would be shutting down Google+ in August 2019 for consumers as a result of lack of broader adoption and critical security issues they uncovered.

Then in December, Google announced that they would be expediting the Google+ shut down, bumping it up to March 2019, because the security issues (which Google thought they had patched up) were continuing to leave user data vulnerable.

The Who, What, and How of the Google+ Shutdown

Given the impact and the speed of this shutdown, here’s what you need to know so you can make sure you don’t lose any valuable content if you are a Google+ user:

Who is impacted?
Anyone with a Google+ consumer account, pages or profiles.

What is being deleted?
All of the content within your Google+ account will be deleted, including any photos and videos in your Album Archive or Google+ pages.

How do I save my information?
You can find instructions on how to save your Google+ content here.

If you have any content on your Google+ page that you haven’t posted elsewhere, or want to keep some of the comments you have received on your posts, be sure to go into your Google+ page soon and start saving your content.

Important Dates to Remember as Part of the Shutdown:

In association with this shutdown, Google has communicated a few dates that all Google+ consumer users need to be aware of :

Starting February 4th, 2019

• Users will no longer be able to create NEW Google+ pages
• Users will no longer be able to add non-Google+ users to their Circles
• Users will no longer be able to leave comments on blogs using their Google+ profiles

Starting March 7th, 2019

• Users using the Google+ Android app will need to update to the new app to be able to continue using it
• Users will not be able to use Google+ gadgets

Starting April 2nd, 2019

• Google+ content in consumer accounts will start being deleted
  • Community owners and moderators may download and save community data before April 2nd
  • You can find instructions on how to download your Google+ data here
• Google+ Collections and Circles will start being phased out
• Google+ Vanity URLs will no longer be supported
• Google+ Pages, Events and +1s will be deleted

If you are a business owner being impacted by the Google+ shutdown, be sure to connect so you can make sure you have an exit management strategy for all your Google+ content. Or, you can always contact us directly at http://www.wsiebizsolutions.net/contact-us/, and we’d be happy to help!

WSI was founded in 1995 and is an innovative digital marketing agency with offices in over 80 countries. We’ve spent over 20 years helping more than 100,000 companies and large global brands unlock the full potential of their business by leveraging the Internet and its many unrecognized opportunities. We’d be happy to help do the same for you and consult on your digital marketing strategy.  Simply give me a call or email me at rknutsen@wsiebizsolutions.net to learn more.