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Google is limiting its Google Shopping Feature to the web after discontinuing its shopping apps for iOS and Android, reports 9to5Google.
A new Google Shopping experience that featured a personalized homepage launched in 2019. On Android, the search engine giant rebranded the Express app to Shopping, but it’s now shutting down the mobile experience in favor of just the web.
“The clients will continue to work through June.”
Google confirmed in a statement that it’s ending support for the Google Shopping apps on Android and iOS. The clients will continue to work through June. It comes as Google has been expanding shopping functionality in Search, Image Search, and YouTube, while increasingly leveraging augmented reality.
Google Spokesperson said, “Within the next few weeks, we’ll no longer be supporting the Shopping app. All of the functionality the app offered users is available on the Shopping tab.
We’ll continue building features within the Shopping tab and other Google surfaces, including the Google app, which makes it easy for people to discover and shop for the products they love.”
If you try to use Google Shopping App, you’ll get an error message – “Something went wrong.”
Image credit: 9to5Google
This screen was first enabled by XDA yesterday, but it’s now appearing to end-users after updating the app via the Play Store.
The app is unavailable right now, but you can continue shopping on shopping.google.com.
The Android and web experience is essentially identical, though the former uses a bottom bar rather than a navigation drawer.
The “Home” feed provides a list of recommended products that you might be interested in, while you can see a list of products that you “Saved.”
The “Notifications” tab shows order updates and promotions, while “Cart” lets you start the purchase process. Tapping your profile avatar in the search bar lets you see past “Orders” and quickly reorder.
The web and Android app share feature parity, with the latter built using Flutter.
Overall, Google Shopping does not need to have an app, as most users just visit Search when looking up products and then can filter results with the “Shopping” tab. This change lets Google conserve engineering resources.
The warning message is, unfortunately, not very explicit about the Android app’s deprecation.
Google is yet to confirm why it’s directing users to the web instead.
Google Shopping, the Latest Casualty?
Google Shopping now joins Reader, Hangouts, Bulletin, and over 200 other services, products, devices, and apps that the search giant has retired.
Curious to know about past Google victims?
Killed by Google maintains a free and open-source list of everything the public knows Google has discontinued.
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