14 DAY TRIAL // Google is shutting down the Google Notifier Beta for both Windows and Mac.
Google has so many small products that it sometimes forgets about them. That seems to be the case for Google Notifier that’s been in Beta for years.
The tool was launched back in 2005 and it was pretty much put on a shelf and forgotten about. The last Windows update was delivered in 2006, while the last update for the Mac app came in 2010.
The app alerts users every time a new Gmail message is received by displaying an icon in the system tray, while also showing the subject, sender and even snippets without having to open a browser page, Google Operating System reports.
“We're writing to let you know about an important change to Google Notifier Beta. Starting on 31 January, Google Notifier Beta will no longer be supported, meaning that the app will no longer show recent emails and calendar events,” reads a message from Google.
The company informs users that there are some alternatives to the Google Notifier Beta. For instance, by installing Gmail Checker Chrome app as a Chrome extension, you can see how many unread messages are in your inbox.
Furthermore, Gmail has one setting that enables Desktop notifications. Every time a new email is received, a box is displayed on the screen.
“Since Google Notifier Beta was launched in 2005, a lot has changed. Smartphones can now notify us of new messages wherever we are, and improvements to web technology enable similar features to be built right into the browser,” Google explains its decision.
Frankly, it makes sense for the company to shut down the tool, especially since it never got enough attention from programmers. The fact that it has never made it past beta is proof of that.