Google+ launched in June 2011 as Google’s answer to Facebook and was shut down for consumers in April 2019, after years of low engagement and two bugs that exposed user profile data in 2018. Google’s business never depended on it: Alphabet made $402.8B of revenue in 2025, mostly from ads on Search and YouTube.
Sources: Alphabet Form 10-K for 2025 and Q2 2026 earnings release (SEC EDGAR). Analysis by The Business Engineer.
How we source: figures on this page come from the company’s own filings (SEC 10-K, 10-Q and earnings releases, or its annual report), with the period stated next to each number. Last refreshed October 2026. Our methodology.
Company explainer · Google, explained
A 3-minute explainer of Google's business model and latest numbers, built from its SEC filings. Analysis by The Business Engineer.
The service formed part of a suite of Google products including Google Drive, Blogger, and YouTube to compete with Facebook, among other platforms.
Google Plus was shut down in 2019, becoming the company’s third failed attempt at creating a social network after Orkut in 2004 and Google Buzz in 2010.
What happened to Google Plus? How did it fail with the power and influence of parent company Google behind it? Read on to find out.
Low usage and engagement
Google software engineer Ben Smith noted that the platform had failed to meet expectations around growth and adoption. “While our engineering teams have put a lot of effort and dedication into building Google+ over the years, it has not achieved broad consumer or developer adoption, and has seen limited user interaction with apps.”
Perhaps more damning for the platform was that according to Smith, 90% of all Google Plus user sessions lasted less than five seconds. It is generally accepted that low usage and engagement were caused by Google forcing new users to jump through too many hoops. At one point, it required them to create an account to comment on ancillary services such as YouTube. It also tied Google Plus to the process of signing up for a Gmail account – whether the user wanted a new social account or not.
Why Google+ failed
Google+ grew sign-ups by bundling accounts with Gmail and YouTube, which inflated its numbers but not its use. People had no reason to move their friends from Facebook, and a social network without friends is empty.
The lesson Google took was to build on intent rather than identity: YouTube, not Google+, became its social platform, and Search ads stayed the engine. See Google’s failed products.
Data leaks
In early 2018, it was revealed Google had discovered a bug in the Google Plus API. This bug allowed third-party app developers to access the data of users and also their friends. Google knew about the vulnerability for around six months, only choosing to come clean once a Wall Street Journal publicly outed the company.
Google released a blog post in October 2018 noting that up to 500,000 accounts were affected by the bug with up to 438 different apps potentially having access to private information. With low usage a continuing problem, Google then decided to gradually phase out the consumer version of Google Plus over the next ten months.
A second data leak occurred soon after, causing the company to bring forward the shutdown by four months. Significantly, the second leak impacted some 52.5 million users with names, email addresses, occupations, and ages exposed.
Consumer shutdown and business rebranding
The consumer version of Google Plus was shut down in April 2019. Google Shoelace was then launched three months, serving as a quasi-replacement for its predecessor. Shoelace aimed to bring together individuals in a community with similar interests, but it too was shut down after becoming another victim of COVID-19 social distancing.
The business version, on the other hand, was rebranded as Google Currents for G Suite users to facilitate better collaboration within organizations.
Key takeaways:
- Google Plus was a Google-owned social network that operated from 2011 to 2019. The platform suffered from low usage and engagement due to convoluted sign-up processes and bundling with Gmail accounts.
- Google Plus suffered two major breaches of privacy after bugs were found in its API. The first breach was kept a secret for six months, while the second affected over 52 million user accounts.
- Google Plus for consumers was rebranded as Shoelace, a community-based meet-up service for like-minded individuals that was itself shut down because of COVID-19 protocols. Google Plus for business still exists in some form as Google Currents.
Timeline
- Launch and Google’s Ambitions: Google Plus was launched in 2011 as Google’s social networking platform to compete with Facebook. It was part of a suite of products to expand Google’s social presence.
- Low Usage and Engagement: Google Plus failed to meet expectations in terms of growth and adoption. The platform suffered from low usage and engagement, with many user sessions lasting less than five seconds. The convoluted sign-up process and mandatory bundling with Gmail accounts contributed to its unpopularity.
- Data Leaks and Privacy Breaches: Google Plus faced privacy issues with two major data leaks. In 2018, a bug in the API allowed third-party app developers to access user and friend data. Google knew about it for months before disclosure. The second leak affected 52.5 million users, prompting an earlier shutdown.
- Consumer Shutdown and Business Rebranding: The consumer version of Google Plus was shut down in 2019 due to its declining popularity. Google Shoelace, a community-based meet-up service, was introduced but was later shut down due to COVID-19 protocols. The business version was rebranded as Google Currents for G Suite users to improve collaboration within organizations.
Year · Key Events
2011
Google Plus is launched as Google’s social networking platform, aiming to compete with Facebook.
2011
Google Plus integrates with other Google products, including Gmail, as part of Google’s broader strategy.
2011
Early adoption of Google Plus generates significant buzz, but user engagement remains lower than expected.
2018
Google discovers a bug in the Google Plus API that exposes user data to third-party developers.
2018
Google decides not to disclose the data breach immediately, leading to criticism of its handling of user privacy.
2018
The first data breach affects up to 500,000 user accounts and prompts Google to announce the shutdown of Google Plus for consumers.
2018
Google announces the rebranding of Google Plus for business users as Google Currents, focusing on organizational collaboration.
2019
A second data breach affects over 52 million user accounts, leading to an accelerated shutdown of Google Plus for consumers.
2019
Google Shoelace, a community-based meet-up service, is launched as a replacement for Google Plus for consumers.
2019
Google Shoelace is shut down due to COVID-19 protocols, marking the end of Google’s consumer-focused social networking efforts.
2019
Google Plus for business continues as Google Currents, providing collaboration tools for organizations within the G Suite.
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