Google Podcasts service ends on April 2nd in the US
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Google's podcast app has been downloaded more than 500 million times, but only 4% of U.S. podcast listeners use the platform. Google says the service will end for U.S. users on April 2nd, potentially requiring millions of people to migrate their podcast subscription data. Unfortunately, this process can be confusing and can expose users to scammers and credential thieves. Therefore, it's important to know how to safely migrate your podcast subscription data to another service.
Google Podcasts app users in the US will lose service access on April 2nd
Perhaps surprisingly, considering 500 million downloads, Google's Podcasts app has come to an end. It's not for everyone yet, but as far as US users are concerned, the service will end on his April 2nd. Other users can still use the app to listen to podcasts, but users based in the US will see an in-app reminder. Notifies you that time is running out to both listen and migrate subscription data.
The end-of-service announcement was first announced by the YouTube team in a statement dated September 26, 2023. The statement claims that the level of investment in podcasts on the YouTube Music platform is increasing, which will make podcasts “a better destination overall.” It offers both fans and podcasters exclusive YouTube features such as Community, Discovery, and Audio/Visual Toggle. ”
How to transfer subscription data to YouTube Music
Google has published a help guide to make moving your subscription data from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music as easy as possible. Users of the app in the US should have received an in-app notification urging them to read and act on the guidance by July.
You can find more information on the Google Podcasts migration help page, but here are the basic steps to migrate to YouTube Music.
- Select the Export Subscriptions option that appears at the top of the Google Podcasts app screen.
- Select “Export to YouTube Music.”
- In the YouTube Music app, select Transfer to continue.
Google warns users that not all podcasts are available on YouTube Music, but they can be saved by using the RSS feed link for the show in question.
Migrating subscription data to platforms other than YouTube Music is a little more complicated and requires users to download an Outline Processor markup language file or use the Google Takeout feature. The exact steps are provided in the help document itself.
Need to close and migrate apps increases cybersecurity risks
The fact that Google is shutting down yet another service used by millions of people is not good news for Google Podcasts users from a security standpoint. Bad actors, whether they're scammers or hackers stealing your credentials, thrive in moments like these. Cybercriminals take advantage of the chaos when, despite Google and YouTube's best efforts, apps stop working and services are shut down when users are desperate to save their data.
First, there is a risk that a fake Google Podcasts app will be available outside of Google Play. Links to these will be distributed via email, messages, and forum postings. The only reason to create a fake app is to perform malicious acts. The most common is adding users to botnets used for criminal activities or stealing users' credentials (in this case, their valuable Google accounts) for illicit profits.
Second, there is a risk that criminals will try to migrate podcast subscription data at the last minute, even though users have until July to do so. This could mean that users searching for information are directed to malicious sites. We may also see an increase in phishing emails targeting Google Podcasts users with links that appear to be for help or support.
Google Podcasts app users, take note.
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