Google will close Shoelace in may: the social network has not passed the testing phase

Last year, the Area 120 Google announced the creation of Sholeacea new social network evidence to connect like-minded people. In the beginning, the app was launched initially for some users iOS in New York, but has not passed the experimental phase and will be canceled in the next few weeks.

Shoelace becomes the nth attempt of Google in the field of social applications. One has only to recall the cases failed Google+, Spacesthat also announced its closure in 2017, and the former This program, eight years ago. Thus, Shoelace will come to an end on may 12interestingly on the same day in which will the closure also Neighbourly, another app for messaging between neighbors that has not come to fruition.

The coronavirus has been sticking final

The Area 120 is the group of experimental work of Google, which, among other proposals, we brought the automatic responses of Reply (already cancelled) and the app to learn how to program Grasshopper. In July last year, created Shoelace, a social network for iOS and Android focused on “connecting people with common interests through activities in person”. That is to say, it was intended to be used between people of a specific community.

Initially, the application is launched, as we said, in New York, and for a limited number of users, even though it was available a form to propose new locations. It could be said that it was something like the version of Google events, Facebookwith user profiles and a chat within each activity to discuss the particulars.

The experiment, however, has failed, and in the own web of Shoelace since the following message appears: “Shoelace is shutting down on May 12” (“Shoelace will be cancelled on the 12th of may”). The team behind the social network he argues as the cause of this closure the pandemic coronavirus:

“As all the projects within the Area 120, Shoelace has been an experiment. We are proud of the work we do and the community that we build, but given the current crisis of health, we do not believe that is the right time to invest more in this project.”

They also say that they have no plans to restart Shoelace in the future and ensure that, on the 12th of may, Google will remove all the data associated with the service permanently. However, those users who wish to obtain a copy, can request it by completing this form

prior to that date.

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The news

Google will close Shoelace in may: the social network has not passed the testing phase

it was originally published in

Xataka Android

by
Laura Sexton

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