Google+ is finally dead as business-focused Currents goes live
The failed social network has officially been rebranded as an enterprise comms platform


Google has officially launched its enterprise communications tool Currents, marking the long-awaited death of Google+.
Currents is available now to G Suite customers, offering organisations a tool where employees can post and comment on discussions and view content in a news feed called "home stream".
The new service has replaced the Google+ icon in G Suite and also Google's apps for Android and iOS. Google+ accounts were shut down last year after failing to attract users and repeated security issues.
Despite not having enough users for its parent company's liking, Google+ still managed to suffer a data leak that affected up to half a million users in 2018. An internal review found that a flaw in the social network's APIs allowed malicious apps to extract data from users profiles and the service was shut down shortly after.
Rather than delete the whole thing, Google has opted to rebrand and reposition the services as an enterprise comms tool - similar to Facebook's Workplace. As such, any lingering Google+ Enterprise users will be transitioned to Currents from 6 July and Google+ links will redirect to Currents URLs.
The Currents interface, which includes Home Stream, can be ordered chronologically or by relevance and allows links, images, text, polls and content from Google Drive accounts to be shared throughout your organisation.
These are not the only changes to G Suite, as Google is also rolling out a dark mode for Docs, Sheets and Slides on Android. The tech giant said this should be available within the next two weeks, with users required to go into the respective app's settings to make the change. If you already have a dark mode theme on your system, the apps will have it enabled automatically.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
It follows an announcement the company made last year to deliver dark mode to all of its first-party apps. It has slowly added the capability to a number of services, including Gmail and Google Calendar.
The function has become very popular on Android and iOS apps for reportedly reducing battery consumption and also its sleek look on mobile devices.
Bobby Hellard is ITPro's Reviews Editor and has worked on CloudPro and ChannelPro since 2018. In his time at ITPro, Bobby has covered stories for all the major technology companies, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook, and regularly attends industry-leading events such as AWS Re:Invent and Google Cloud Next.
Bobby mainly covers hardware reviews, but you will also recognize him as the face of many of our video reviews of laptops and smartphones.
-
Should AI PCs be part of your next hardware refresh?
AI PCs are fast becoming a business staple and a surefire way to future-proof your business
By Bobby Hellard
-
Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI launch brace of new channel initiatives
News Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI have announced the launch of two new channel growth initiatives focused on the managed security service provider (MSSP) space and AWS Marketplace.
By Daniel Todd
-
How to empower employees to accelerate emissions reduction
in depth With ICT accounting for as much as 3% of global carbon emissions, the same as aviation, the industry needs to increase emissions reduction
By Fleur Doidge
-
Worldwide IT spending to grow 4.3% in 2023, with no significant AI impact
News Spending patterns have changed as companies take an inward focus
By Rory Bathgate
-
Report: Female tech workers disproportionately affected by industry layoffs
News Layoffs continue to strike companies throughout the tech industry, with data showing females in both the UK and US are bearing the brunt of them more so than males
By Ross Kelly
-
How can small businesses cope with inflation?
Tutorial With high inflation increasing the cost of doing business, how can small businesses weather the storm?
By Sandra Vogel
-
How to deal with inflation while undergoing digital transformation
In-depth How can organizations stave off inflation while attempting to grow by digitally transforming their businesses?
By Sandra Vogel
-
How businesses can use technology to fight inflation
TUTORIAL While technology can’t provide all the answers to fight rising inflation, it can help ease the pain on businesses in the long term
By Sandra Vogel
-
Embattled WANdisco to cut 30% of workforce amid fraud scandal
News The layoffs follow the shock resignation of the company’s CEO and CFO in early April
By Ross Kelly
-
Some Tech Nation programs could continue after Founders Forum acquisition
News The acquisition brings to a close a months-long saga over what the future holds for Tech Nation initiatives
By Ross Kelly