Google has reassured users that Gmail is not shutting down despite widespread hoaxes on social media.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, which has been viewed more over seven million times, claimed it would be closing in August.
Some reports claim that it started from the TikTok app. Some of these posts claimed that Google is shutting down Gmail after receiving all the backlash it received over Gemini image generation.
“After years of connecting millions worldwide, enabling seamless communication, and fostering countless connections, the journey of Gmail is coming to a close.
As of August 1, 2024, Gmail will officially be sunsetted, marking the end of its service. This means Gmail will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails,” the statement said.
However, Google realising the gravity of Gmail shutting down rumour spreading on social media posted on X saying, “Gmail is here to stay”.
Gmail is the world’s most popular email service, with more than 1.5bn active users worldwide, according to Statista.
And despite emphatically rejecting the false claims in the hoax message, Google has indeed shut down some services in recent years.
In 2023 alone, Google killed its Stadia gaming service, and its Snapchat-like YouTube Stories feature, and it began closing old and inactive Gmail accounts.
It has announced plans to close Google Podcasts, though this functionality has effectively been supplanted by YouTube Music, which it also owns.