Google is officially closing the Google Podcasts platform in the USA, after several weeks of warning about the measure, and in what will be another phase in the transition process.
US users will be the first to lose access to Google Podcasts, before the same measure is applied globally. Users who still have the app installed should start receiving an alert notification, indicating the measure, and recommending the switch to YouTube Music.
It should be remembered that the Google Podcasts application was launched just over six years ago, with 500 million downloads since then on the Google Play Store. Although Google’s original idea was to create the app to separate it from YouTube and YouTube Music, eventually the company would decide to move its entire platform to YouTube Music.
In September 2023, Google revealed that it would discontinue Google Podcasts, moving the content to YouTube Music, thus aligning with the company’s original idea. The measure was quickly criticized by users, who considered the YouTube platform considerably more complicated to use and by those who wanted an app dedicated just to podcasts.
Users who still have the app installed are advised to migrate their subscriptions before the end of support for the platform.
