Google to shut down 6 projects in 2022

Published • February 21st, 2022

Google is set to discontinue six projects in 2022 continuing the trend of the company killing off projects that were not as relevant as the company expected.

Android Things, also known as Brillo, was first announced in 2015 but was only made available to the public in 2018. Android Things was an operating system for IoT devices. It was then refocused as an OS that powered smart displays and speakers with built-in Google Assistant. Google then announced that it would stop taking any new project related to Android Things in January 2021, and would completely shut it down in January 2022.

Another project being shut down is Google Cameos, or Cameos on Google. It was made as a video-based Q&A answering app. It launched on the App Store in August 2018 and on the Google Play Sotre in October 2019. Google Cameos is invite-only, mostly allowing influencers and celebrities to use the app. The app was made to avoid the spread of misinformation by giving celebrities access to answer their fans’ questions via short videos. Fans could find these videos in a separate link or knowledge panels of the said celebrities.

G Suite (Legacy Free Edition) is also shutting down in 2022. Introduced in 2006, Google announced its discontinuation in 2021. In January 2022, Google emailed G Suite users informing them about the discontinuation of the service from May 2022. It further suggested users upgrade to a paid version of G Suite, now known as Google Workspace.

The Google OnHub is also being shut down in 2022. It is a mobile app-enabled wireless router introduced in 2016. But with the advent of Google Wi-Fi, the company is stopping support for the OnHub on December 19, 2022.

Another feature that is going to be shut down in 2022 is Google Chrome Apps. Google started the shutdown in 2017 when the Chrome Apps tab was removed in the Chrome Web Store. In 2020, Google stopped accepting new apps. And by June 202, support will end for all existing Chrome app users for all operating systems. Google notes though that this change does not impact support for Chrome Extensions. Google will continue to support and invest in Chrome Extensions on all existing platforms.

Lastly, YouTube Originals, which started in 2016 to produce and stream original series, will now end in 2022. Aimed to be a direct competitor to streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and the like. On January 18, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer, Robert Kyncl announced on Twitter that it is shutting down the service in 2022 despite producing popular shows such as Cobra Kai, Liza on Demand, and Justin Bieber: Seasons. No exact timeline was said of when the service will be shut down.