Google To Shutter Its Google+ Local iOS App Next Month

With the newly updated Google Maps app for iOS out, Google has announced its plans to shut down the Google+ Local app for iOS on August 7th.

There’s been no official announcement that I’m aware of yet, but both 9to5 Mac and Mark Traphagen posted a Google email detailing the shut down plan and the reasons for it. Here’s the full text of that email:

Hello,

We’re emailing to announce that the Google+ Local app for iOS will be retired on August 7th, 2013.

The good news is that all features in the Google+ Local app are now available in Google Maps for Mobile on iOS devices:

• Search by categories of places, like “restaurants” or “coffee shops”
• Read place information, including written reviews, average price, address and Street View (where available)
• See what people in your Google+ circles have to say about their favorite places around the world
• Rate and review places you’ve been to
• Share places, locations and businesses you find

Learn more about Google Maps for iOS.

This means that after August 7th, you’ll no longer be able to access the Google+ Local app through your iOS device. Any reviews and ratings that you created will be available on your Google+ profile and in the Google Maps iOS app.

Thank you for using Google+ Local for iOS.

Sincerely,
The Google Maps Team

Google hasn’t yet replied to our emails asking for confirmation of this email.

Postscript: Google has now confirmed that the email above is legitimate and accurate.

Google launched the Google+ Local app in July 2012 as a replacement for what was called the Google Places app. This was back in the days when there was no formal Google Maps app on the iPhone, and Apple had announced plans for its own mapping service to power the default Maps app. Google never issued a separate Google+ Local app on Android devices since it was able to roll the same features into the Google Maps app on that platform.