In 2018, the tech giant Google decided to shut down the consumer version of Google Plus due to low usage and challenges associated with maintaining a successful Google+ service that meets consumers’ expectations. Now, Google has officially announced that it will close its Google+ service for consumers on 2nd April 2019. According to Google,” On April 2nd, your Google+ account and any Google+ pages you created will be shut down and we will begin deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts. Photos and videos from Google+ in your Album Archive and your Google+ pages will also be deleted. You can download and save your content, just make sure to do so before April. Note that photos and videos backed up in Google Photos will not be deleted”.

Google has further said that after 4th February 2019 users will not be able to create new Google+ pages, Google+ Profiles, communities and events. However, the Google+ community owners or moderators may download and save their data for their Google+ Community. On 4 February 2019, Google+ commenting option on Blogger will be removed. Apart from this, Google+ commenting option on other sites will be removed on 7th March 2019. The company has also said that either Google+ sign-in buttons will be removed or replaced with Google sign-in buttons.

It is to be noted that G Suite customers will have access to Google+ even after 2nd April 2019. The Google+ accounts of G Suite customers will remain active.

The company has also said that it will take a few months to delete content from consumer Google+ accounts, album archive and Google+ pages.

Visit download your data page. You might be required to sign in. Your available data will be preselected.

Now click on ‘Next’.

Select a file type.

Select how you want your data delivered.

Click on ‘Create Archive’.

Note: Google has also added FAQ page on its website where users can get all questions and answers related to shut down of the consumer version of Google Plus.