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"Leading American Tech Giant Google to Discontinue Highly-Downloaded Application, as Announced Last Year"
Updates from Google typically roll out continuously, but the tech giant has surprised users by announcing the impending shutdown of one of its cornerstone applications.
According to a report from the foreign website Livement.com, Google's Podcast app, boasting over 500 million downloads, is set to cease operations in the US starting tomorrow, April 2nd. Podcasts have long been a source of fascination and popularity across numerous platforms.
Despite Google's encouragement for users to transfer their data to YouTube Music or alternative services, podcasts will remain accessible for download but not for streaming after the shutdown date.
According to the report, Google has decided that instead of maintaining a separate app for podcasts, it would integrate podcast functionalities into existing applications.
This move suggests that Google is not abandoning the concept of podcasts with the closure of Google Podcasts, but rather transitioning the podcasting experience to another platform, namely YouTube Music.
The company intends to consolidate all its resources into a single app, YouTube Music, instead of maintaining two separate applications.
Google had dropped hints about the app's potential shutdown as early as September last year, when users were informed that access to the YouTube Music service might require a subscription.
Starting from April 2, users who wish to access podcasts will need to make an investment. However, Google has initiated this change specifically for users in the US at present.
Google has communicated that users have the option to migrate their podcast data to the YouTube Music app or opt for an alternative podcast platform.
To begin, launch the Google Podcasts app. Next, select the "Export Subscriptions" option.
As the third step, click on "Export" under the "Export to YouTube Music" section, and then proceed by clicking on "Transfer to YouTube Music app."
