Tech talk: Google+ to shut down -- why this should concern you

by Ben Mims

When I talked to Megan at the Cherokeean about doing this, first thing I thought was “What in the world am I going to write about?” Then I read about something that affects me directly.

Google has set a shutdown date for its failed social network site Google+ (plus) for April 2, 2019. You may be asking “What is Google+ and why do I care?”

Google+ was Google’s answer to social media networks such as MySpace, Facebook, and other social media platforms. Unlike most things Google does, Google+ never really got as much traction as they had hoped for. If you’re like me and carry an Android based phone, more than likely your phone is setup to backup all of your photos to Google+.

In this case Google+ will be destroying the backup feature and all of your photos will be deleted from the Google+ cloud. This is somewhat of a concern for even me, because I have been using Google+ to keep my photos for the past six phones I’ve owned.

I’ve got pictures of my daughter her whole life, many trips around the world, and all kinds of great memories from times past. I will be backing my Google+ pictures up tonight. I would suggest you check your Google+ account as well.

If you have any questions you can email me at ben@benmims.com or call my office at (903) 683-0066.