Google Puts 4 iOS Apps on the Chopping Block

Google has been prolific with its apps, cranking out mobile tools for a variety of its services. Now the company has announced it will retire four of its iOS apps in the coming month. Fans of Google+ Local (formerly Google Places) will be the first to lose a standalone app. Many Google+ Local features are now available in Google Maps instead.

Google shopper local catalog apps

Ratings and reviews created by users will continue to be available via the Google Maps app and on Google+ profiles. Even though Google announced plans to remove Google+ Local from the App Store on August 7 it appears as though the app is already unavailable. So what other iOS apps is Google pulling from the App Store forever?

Next in line is Google Latitude, slated for demolition on August 9. Users of Latitude will no longer be able to share their location after Google officially retires the service, and any friends associated with Latitude will be deleted. For those who are disappointed, a future update to the Google+ iOS app will make it possible to share your location.

On August 15, the Google Catalogs iPad app will no longer be supported. instead, fans of Catalogs will have to use a desktop browser to access shopping catalogs. Could be a bummer for those used to flipping through products, purchasing items and creating collages of favorites directly on the iPad.

Last but not least, August 30 will mark the final waking moments for the standalone iOS Google Shopper app. With Google Shopping available through a web browser and many of Google's web-based shopping services available via the Google Search app, the time has come for Google to nix the standalone app. Google Search users will have access to the same prices, products and local shopping details currently found in Google Shopper.