8 best projects eliminated by Google

Behind all of Google's successes lies a graveyard full of failed projects. From Google Podcasts to Android Things, these are the best projects Google has dropped.

1. Google Podcasts

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Podcasts grew exponentially in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Google Podcasts was the company's attempt to rival Spotify and Apple Music. Google Podcasts first launched in August 2018, and you can find many interesting shows on the platform. Examples include Deep Dive With Ali Abdaal and Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett.

Google Podcasts is free to use for iOS and Android devices. Furthermore, you can listen to podcasts through your web browser. Google announced in late 2023 that it would discontinue the app in April 2024 and that podcasts would instead appear on YouTube Music.

2. Stadia

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Stadia, launched in November 2019, is one of Google's most prominent failures. The cloud gaming service has an impressive portfolio of games, including Assassin's Creed, FIFA and Far Cry. You can play games through many mediums, including TV and apps.

Users can purchase Stadia subscriptions for $10/month, which include 4K streaming. However, this service also has a free plan. Google announced it would discontinue the service in September 2022 before shutting down Stadia in 2023.

3. Android Auto for Phones

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Android Auto for Phones was another promising but short-lived project from Google. While Android Auto usually requires you to set up your phone to project content, the obvious downside here is that your car needs a screen. The idea behind Android Auto is to help drivers access maps and other useful information in the car.

Google launched Android Auto for Phones in 2019 before discontinuing the project in 2022. However, the company began discontinuing development of Android Auto for Phones in 2021, and users cannot install the program since Android 12 .

4. Google+

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If you were online in the early 2010s, you almost certainly heard of Google+. First launched in 2011, as reported by Yahoo News, Google+ had 500 million users by December 2012 (although there were only 100 million active accounts). With Google+, you can share photo updates and external links with other users. You can +1 for notifications you like, this works just like the Like button on Facebook.

Google+ also allows you to comment and share posts. But in April 2019, the platform was shut down. The platform is now a B2B service called Google Currents.

5. iGoogle

Google's interface changes throughout the year with different themes, but how cool would it be to completely customize your homepage? That's exactly what iGoogle sought to solve. Launched in 2005, iGoogle lets you choose your own theme and add all kinds of widgets. You can see the weather, your calendar, and more on the home page. The video above perfectly illustrates what iGoogle is all about: Customize your own website.

Google discontinued iGoogle in 2013. The company had moved in this direction a year earlier, announcing that it would remove social widgets from iGoogle to put more energy into Google+.

6. Google Reader

Keeping up to date with information has always been a challenge on the Internet, even in the early days. Google Reader seeks to provide users with an easy way to follow the most important stories and content based on their interests.

After its release in October 2005, Google Reader lasted nearly eight years before being discontinued in July 2013.

7. Picasa

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Picasa was one of the earlier options for organizing your photos online, launching in 2002. But it's more than just a place to put things into files and folders; You can also edit your photos. With Picasa, you can adjust photo brightness, remove red-eye, and automatically correct contrast and color, among other things.

Google decided to shut down Picasa in 2016 and integrate Picasa's editing and organization tools into Google Photos. So if you want to access those today, you should go to Google Photos instead. Also, try these free alternatives to Photoshop.

8. Google Cardboard

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You don't have to go too far to find talk about virtual reality (VR) these days, but did you know that Google has been running its own VR project for nearly 7 years? Google Cardboard allows you to place your smartphone in a device made of cardboard and watch VR content without having to pay thousands of dollars for a headset. In fact, attendees of the 2016 Coachella festival received their own version upon arrival.

Google has shipped tens of millions of these headsets, including to many different educational institutions. However, the project ended in March 2021.

Micah Soto

Update 08 March 2024