by Martin Brinkmann on February 06, 2019 in Google – No comments
Anyone using the classic Google Tasks web interface? Google informs users who open Google Tasks using a web browser that the classic version is going away.
Google does not mention a specific shutdown date but “soon” suggests that the shutting down will probably happen in the near future and not in years.
Google Tasks itself is not going away, on the other hand. Users who use Tasks may still use it in one of the following ways:
- Gmail: Gmail users can open the Gmail web interface and select Tasks on the right-hand side (underneath Calendar and Keep) to open the interface.
- Calendar: The standalone web version of Google Calendar supports tasks as well. Just open Calendar and select Tasks on the right side to open the interface.
- Mobile devices: The Google Tasks application for Android or iOS remains available. Users may install the app on their devices to continue using Tasks.
Google does not reveal why it is closing down the classic standalone web version of Task. The most likely explanation is a lack of use; most Tasks users probably use it through Gmail or Calendar, and not through the standalone version.
Lack of use could still mean that it is used by quite a few users considering that Google’s definition of lack of use is different to the definition that smaller Internet companies may have.
Good news is that Tasks is not going away completely and that Google Tasks users can continue to access their tasks on Gmail or Calendar (or the mobile apps); at least for now.
Google is in a termination spree currently; the company plans to shut down Google+ in April for consumers, the classic Hangouts, the Google URL shortener, and the messaging app Allo.
Windows users who need Task functionality but only locally could look at the long standing Task List Guru application for the operating system.
The coming days and weeks will show how many users are affected by the shutdown.
Now You: Do you use a Tasks service? If so which and why?