Google Reader Shutting Down in July 2013
Looks like Google Reader is going the way of Google Wave.
Google last night made the shocking announcement that it would be shutting down Google Reader in about four months' time. The search giant made the announcement via the official Google Blog in a post entitled 'A Second Spring of Cleaning.' Yesterday's post is a follow on from 2011's clean out that saw the death of Google Desktop, Google Maps API for Flash, and Sidewiki (among others).
"We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined," Google explained. "So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months."
Unfortunately, Google hasn't talked much about what avid users of the service can do once Reader does go offline. Other produces, like Google Wave, were shut down to make way for other solutions (in Google Wave's case, Google+). Right now, fans of the service are feeling a bit lost and abandoned.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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xoxo omg, why??? i love google reader Q.QReply
can anyone recommend an alternative that sync on mobile and pc in term of read and unread. -
myromance123 HVDynamoAnd this is why I avoid getting too hooked into any cloud services.You said it. Same reason I don't buy always-online games. Once the provider stops providing, you're left with nothing.Reply -
sun-devil99 I too use Google Reader as I love the sync feature between my two computers and my Nexus 7. I used to use Brief the Firefox extension, but it had been getting buggy, doesn't sync and I use Chrome now as my main browser.Reply -
n0manarmy This is probably the same reason they're shutting google/ig down as well. I feel this is a big mistake since people depend reader and google/ig as actual, effective tools, in aggregating their own personal news.Reply -
HenrikG Why Google? First you announce you'll be getting rid of iGoogle and now Reader. I love you but damn, you're really starting to annoy me with stupid choices...Reply -
fritters Wow. The only way I read any pages at all, including this one, is through google reader.Reply -
braitBR They keep Google+ and Orkut, but shut Reader down? Srsly? One of their best and most useful products! why?!Reply