As of April 2nd, your Google+ account, along with any Google+ pages you created, will be deleted. This is sad news if you have been an active user of Google+ like me with over 300K connections.
Here’s some advice on the next steps to take before the shut down, including how to download your photos and other content.
Why Is Google+ Going Away?
Google+ had a seven year run and while starting off strong, the platform became Google’s red-headed stepchild. Google dedicated significant resources over the years into making Google Plus a valuable platform but, a data breach that occurred last March seemed to be the last straw and Google decided to put the social platform out to pasture.
According to word stream, Google launched Project Strobe independently, prior to the data breach, and therefore the data breach was something it was actively looking for, not something it accidentally stumbled upon. The purpose of Project Strobe was to review all third-party developers across Google’s vast network of apps and services—the idea being that the more complex that ecosystem becomes, the more difficult it would be for Google to regulate data privacy and security.
In April, Google will begin deleting content from personal Google+ accounts. This includes photos and videos from Google+ in your Album Archive. Your Google+ pages will also be deleted. You can download and save your content, just make sure to do it ASAP.
The process of deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts, Google+ Pages, and Album Archive will take a few months, and content may remain through this time. For example, users may still see their Google+ account via activity log and some personal Google+ content may remain visible to G Suite users until consumer Google+ is deleted.
How to Download Google+ Data
You can download specific Google+ data, like your photos, posts, communities, or events.
Important: If you want to download your photos and videos from Google+, make sure to select Photos under “Google+ Stream.”
Here’s how to save your data:
- Go to the Download your data page. You might have to sign in.
- Next to the type of content you want to download, like Google+ Stream, click the Down arrow .
- Click ’Select Specific Data’.
- Select the specific data you want to download.
- Click ’OK’.
- Click ’Next’.
- Choose a file type.
- Choose how you want your data delivered.
- Click ’Create Archive’.
Note: If you want to download Google+ Pages content, sign in as the Google+ Page.
Note: photos and videos backed up in Google Photos from your android or Google phone will not be deleted.
A Few FAQs About Transitioning from Google+
How do I keep in touch with my Google+ followers?
Between now and the shutdown, Google recommends you let your followers know where they can see your content outside of Google+. Consider creating a post that lists your website, blog, social media channels, and other ways to stay in touch.
If you’re a Google+ Community owner or moderator, you may download and save your data for your Google+ Community. Starting early March 2019, additional data will be available for download, including author, body, and photos for every community post in a public community. Learn more.
If you sign in to sites and apps using the Google+ Sign-in button, these buttons will stop working in the coming weeks, but in some cases may be replaced by a Google Sign-in button. You’ll still be able to sign in with your Google Account wherever you see Google Sign-in buttons. Learn more.
If you’ve used Google+ for comments on your own or other sites, this feature will be removed from Blogger by February 4th and other sites by March 7th. All your Google+ comments on all sites will be deleted starting April 2, 2019. Learn more.
If you’re a G Suite customer, Google+ for your G Suite account should remain active. Contact your G Suite administrator for more details. You can also expect a new look and new features soon. Learn more.
See the full FAQ from Google with more details and updates leading up to the shutdown. Hopefully a new social media platform will be launched soon, and we’ll move on from this little social media speed bump.