Google has officially announced the discontinuation of its Podcasts app, marking another service being shut down by the tech giant. The Podcasts app is scheduled to be phased out by the end of 2024, and Google is actively encouraging users to transfer their current subscriptions to YouTube Music by April 2. Users are being notified of this change through email notifications that offer the option to export their subscriptions.
Google initiated the integration of podcast-related functionalities into the YouTube Music app last year, and now it is completing a full transition to consolidate all audio content within one platform. This transition will provide users in markets like the US with access to both music and podcasts through a single app, a feature that will soon expand to other regions as well.
While the Google Podcasts app is currently still accessible on the App Store and Play store, existing users are advised to migrate to the new app before the content consumption capabilities of the Podcasts app are disabled after April 2nd.
Consumers Are Not Liking Podcast App
Despite having over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store, recent statistics from Edison indicate that only 4 per cent of users prefer the Podcasts app, while 23 per cent favour the YouTube Music app for podcast consumption. Google aims to streamline the consumption of all audio content by consolidating it into one platform, enhancing user experience and convenience.
To facilitate the transition, Google is enhancing the podcast-related features within the YouTube Music app, such as introducing an RSS feed. Additionally, users will have the option to download their OPML file, allowing them to migrate their show subscriptions to any supported app other than YouTube Music.
Google Chrome New Feature: Android Users May Soon Get 'Tab Declutter'
On a side note, Google Chrome is preparing to roll out a new functionality aimed at enhancing the browsing experience for Android users and streamlining their tab management. Recent developments in the Chromium codebase indicate that Google is in the process of developing a feature specifically tailored to automatically organise and handle inactive tabs.
According to information from 9to5Google, the upcoming feature, tentatively named "Android Tab Declutter," is designed with the goal of assisting users in managing their browsing activities by automatically archiving and removing tabs that have been inactive for a prolonged period. Although the specific mechanisms of this feature are not yet fully disclosed, it seems to target tabs that have not been used for a significant duration, thereby optimising the browsing interface and reducing the necessity for manual tab management.