Google says goodbye to one of its best applications after six years of life – 2024-07-22 23:10:13

2024-07-22 23:10:13

Google Podcasts is coming to an end. After being announced last year that it was going to close, the app finally stopped working on all platforms where it had been available since 2018 on Android and iOS.

During its six years of life, Google did not disclose the number of real users, although it was known that it reached more than 100 million downloads on the Play Store. However, this figure was not enough for the project to continue.

Although Similarweb claims that the app reached 50 million monthly active users, this figure does not seem to have been enough to consolidate its stability in the market, and therefore did not reach the levels expected by the company.

Google Podcast content will now be available on YouTube Music. (Illustrative Image Infobae).

On the other hand, as announced by the company, The decision is due to Google’s decision to invest in its music streaming platform, YouTube Music.which already integrates podcasts. This strategy seems to be aligned with the company’s vision of consolidating services and simplifying its product offering.

The company has provided a sufficient time frame for users to transition to other platforms, as from September 2023, Users have been informed about the gradual disappearance of Google Podcasts, allowing them to look for alternatives and migrate their subscriptions.

In addition, Google offers the possibility of exporting subscriptions in OPML format, which facilitates migration to other services. Users have until July 2024 to make this transition. and are not required to switch to YouTube Music, but can transfer their subscription to Spotify, Audible or Apple Podcasts.

Google Podcast content will now be available on YouTube Music. (Illustrative Image Infobae).

Despite not meeting Google’s expectations, the podcast app has not received any major criticism during its six years of operation.even in Play Store it has 4.3 stars with more than 5 million reviewswhich means that it has been well received by the community.

One of the best features that Google Podcasts had was the ability to integrate with other services from the company, which allowed for personalized recommendations based on interests, listening history and preferences, providing a differentiating feature compared to other podcast services that are fueled only by interaction on the platform itself.

The removal of the application will begin on April 2 in the United States and will gradually disappear throughout this month in the rest of the world.

Unlike Google Podcasts, the company is betting heavily on its health device. Fitbit revealed that it will include an AI-powered chatbot designed to offer a more intuitive wellness experience in the company’s products and services.

Among the improvements, More efficient search and advanced display will be addedas well as more accurate interpretation of user information, which may represent a significant step in the use of generative AI in healthcare.

The purpose behind the introduction of this chatbot is simplify the interpretation of complex medical data which are usually presented in table and graph formats.

This assistant will use natural language and will allow users to make inquiries about their well-beinganalyzing information such as sleep quality or physical activity to provide personalized recommendations.

Initially, this service will be available exclusively to Fitbit Premium subscribers who use Android devices and participate in Fitbit Labs programs. In addition, Google will integrate into this project the development of an AI model specialized in health and well-being, llamado Personal Health Large Language Model, based on its Gemini technology.

By: Infobae