The GOOGLE app, used by millions of people around the world, will be shut down in the next few weeks.
Users were warned about the closure months in advance, and the U.S. version of the app disappeared in early April.
Google Podcasts launched on Android in June 2018 and will be shutting down for all users outside the US in June.
“The time has come,” one disappointed user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Google Podcasts is starting to shut down for me.
“I don't like Spotify. Is there a podcast player you can recommend? It's best if it works on both web and mobile.”
Last September, the tech giant announced that Google Podcasts would be phased out in favor of YouTube Music sometime in 2024.
Google says it will help podcast creators make the switch, so users will continue to have access to the familiar titles they've come to love.
But that's only if you move to Google-owned YouTube Music instead.
“We should break up”
The move to discontinue Google Podcasts is part of an effort to transform YouTube into an all-in-one site for podcasts, music, and video.
This also marks the end of Google Play Music, which was shut down in December 2020.
“The Android ecosystem could become more popular if Google stopped forcing users to move their content to another app,” one user tweeted earlier this month.
Shortly after the September announcement, another user I have written: “I don’t care if I sound like grandpa, why does every music service desperately want me to listen to podcasts on their app?
“I don't want to use my music app for podcasts. I want to separate them. It's better to separate them.”
3rd user Added: “We loved Google Play Music, and now we've transformed it into YouTube Music.
“Currently, Google Podcasts supports background playback (no subscription required). Going forward, you'll need to subscribe to YouTube Music.”
Google offers YouTube Music as an alternative, but users are considering moving to Apple and Spotify's podcast services.
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