Google Plus, which was shut down to consumers in 2019 over a security lapse and in part over “low usage and engagement” is now dead officially. Since the shutdown, Google+ has continued to provide enterprises with a “secure corporate social network,” to help co-workers keep in touch.
However, Google Plus’s existence ends officially today for enterprises. As a replacement, Google has released another product called Google Currents. Google Currents is officially available now via G-Suite, Google’s enterprise app suite. Former Google Plus mobile apps on Android and iOS have been rebranded to Google Currents, hence retaining the download numbers and reviews.
Currents was announced last year by the company, shortly after closing Google+ personal accounts, and has been in beta for months till today. As a Google Plus replacement, existing Google+ content will automatically transfer to Currents, according to the company.
It is also not very different from Google Plus except for the “new look, feel, and set of features.”
It has a News Feed known as “home stream”, which gives priority to administrator’s posts by relevance or users can choose to sort it chronologically. Administrators can also moderate content if need be. They can also create “custom streams to promote specific content to a targeted set of employees or the entire company.”
Not the first “Currents”
Apparently, this is not the first time Google has named an app Currents. In 2011, Google announced Google Currents, a digital magazine app. Two years later the app was rebranded to Google Play Newsstand. See where this is going? Yes, that app was also shut down then replaced by Google News. What’s next after Google Currents, again?