THE exact month Android owners will be forced to wave goodbye to the Google Podcasts app has finally been revealed.
In late September, the tech giant announced it would be retiring Google Podcasts in favour of YouTube Music sometime in 2024.
Google has since added that the platform will join the app graveyard in April – leaving US-based Google Podcasts fans with just over four months to migrate to YouTube Music.
Google has said it will help podcast creators with the switch, so users will likely still have access to the familiar titles they’ve grown to love.
In a YouTube blog post, the company wrote: “We will be discontinuing Google Podcasts in the US as early as April 2024.
“To make this transition as seamless as possible, today we’ll begin rolling out a tool that allows Google Podcast listeners in the US to migrate their subscriptions from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music or export them for use in other podcast apps.
“We’ll share more about Google Podcasts’ availability and the release of this migration tool for other countries soon.”
The tech giant has yet to make a statement addressing UK users, though the app is likely to disappear at the same time.
‘Nothing surprising’
The move to axe Google Podcasts forms part of efforts to turn YouTube into an all-in-one destination for podcasts, music and video.
It also follows the death knell for Google Play Music, which was shut down in December 2020.
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Fans are gutted to see the podcasts app go, with many preferring to keep them in a separate to their music.
“I don’t care if I sound like a grandpa. Why does every music service so desperately want me to listen to podcasts in their app?,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the September announcement.
“I don’t want to use my music app for podcasts. I want them separate. It’s better when they are separate.”
Another wrote: “We loved Google Play Music, it was converted to YouTube Music.
“Now Google Podcast supports background play (No subscription needed). We’ll be forced to subscribe to YouTube Music.”
“Nothing surprising. It’s Google. They love to shut down things which people like,” said a third disappointed user.
While Google has offered up YouTube Music as an alternative, users are contemplating moving over to Apple and Spotify’s podcast offerings.
Some have even made the switch already.
“Honestly, I haven’t touched Google Podcasts ever since Spotify upped its podcast game,” senior editor at 9to5Google, Ben Schoon, wrote.
“It’s a shame to see it closing though, because it was a good podcast app.”
Another person tweeted: “So glad I left that app and moved to Apple Podcasts lol.”
Although, some users are quite keen on the concept of an all-in-one app.
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“Amazing! Having two apps when things can naturally fit into one is devastating and cluttering,” one user tweeted.
“Excited to try out podcasts in YouTube Music :).”
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