Google is killing its experimental social network Shoelace
The service launched last year and was only ever available in NYC.
Google’s experimental Area 120 unit launched Shoelace in mid-2019 as a way to help people get together in real life. Unfortunately, the fledgling social network won’t make it out of the experimental phase — the tech giant has announced that Shoelace is shutting down on May 12th.
The service was geared towards people looking for group activities with other locals who share the same interests. Say, people interested in photography who want to meet up for a shoot or those looking for buddies to see concerts with. It was only ever available for iOS users in NYC, though, and never quite made its way to other regions.
Based on the team’s announcement on its website, the app fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic. Area 120 says it doesn’t feel like it’s the right time to invest further in the project “given the current health crisis” and that it doesn’t have plans to reboot Shoelace in the future. Google will delete all data associated with the service after May 12th, though users can get a copy of it by filling out this form before that date.
