Google, in its recent blog post, has confirmed the shutting down of Google+ due to its decreasing number of users. Security issues have also contributed, if only partially, in the making of this big decision.
(Courtesy: TechRepublic)
So according to Google, Google+ will be shut down on 2nd April 2019 and 4th February 2019 onwards, no one would be able to make new Google+ account or community.
Google has also affirmed that all the existing data will be deleted, and the current users have been given the two months’ time to save or download their data. The Google photos saved as a backup won’t be deleted from the platform.
According to the reports, Google wanted to wait till August 2019 before shutting down Google+. But increasing security issues and decreasing number of users day by day have catalyzed their decision.
The Google+ button now will be replaced by Google Account.
Here’s how you can download the Google+ data:
• Go to Google’s “Download Data” page.
• Click on “Next”.
• Select the file type.
• Select the download format.
• Click on “Create Archive”.