Summary

Among all of Google’s success lies a graveyard of failed projects.

Google Podcasts initially launched in August 2018, and you could find plenty of interesting shows on the platform.

Examples include Deep Dive With Ali Abdaal and Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO.

A guy holding a Google Pixel 8 showing apps

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Google Podcasts was free to use for iOS and Android devices.

Moreover, you could listen to podcasts via your web surfing app.

If you’re an Android user, consider checking out thebest podcasting apps for Android.

An image of the interface in Google Podcasts

dronepicr/Wikimedia Commons

2Stadia

Stadia, launched in November 2019, was one of Google’s most high-profile failures.

You could play games through multiple means, including your TV and apps.

Users could purchase subscription packages for Stadia at $10 per month, which included 4K streaming.

Photo of the Google Stadia Stand at a Gaming Conference

dronepicr/Wikimedia Commons

However, the service also had a free plan.

Google announced it would discontinue the service in September 2022 before shutting Stadia down in 2023.

3Android Auto for Phones

Android Auto for Phones was another promising but short-lived Google project.

The User Interface for Android Auto

Google/Wikimedia Commons

Google launched Android Auto for Phones in 2019 before discontinuing the project in 2022.

Thankfully, Android Auto in and of itself is still available.

4Google+

If you were online in the early 2010s, you’ve almost certainly heard of Google+.

picasa 3 image example 2024

Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

With Google+, you could share photo updates and external links with other users.

Google+ also let you comment on and share posts.

But in April 2019, the platform was shut down.

Google Cardboard Glasses and Phone

Maurizio Pesce/Wikimedia Commons

The platform is nowa B2B service known as Google Currents.

Well, that’s what iGoogle sought to solve.

Launched in 2005, iGoogle allowed you to choose your own themes and add all kinds of widgets.

You could see the weather, your calendar, and much more on the homepage.

The (ancient!)

video example above perfectly illustrates what iGoogle was all about: customization of your own web page.

Google discontinued iGooglein 2013.

But even now, we’d love to see it return.

It was a handy tool for aggregating everything you enjoy consuming without needing to search for those websites manually.

The good news, however, is thatseveral Chrome extensions can help you read online articles better.

Google opted to shut down Picasa in 2016 and integrate its organization and editing tools within Google Photos.

So, if you want to access those today, you should go to Google Photos instead.

Alternatively, try out thesefree alternatives to Photoshop.

In fact, people at the 2016 Coachella festival received their own versions when attending.

Google shipped tens of millions of headsets, including to various educational institutions.

However, the project ended in March 2021.