Google is shutting down its App Maker tool
Google is in the mood for a cull at the moment. Having announced the end of support for Chrome Apps, the company has now announced that Google App Maker will be closing down in less than a year.
While the ultimate shutdown date isn't until January 2021, App Maker is now no longer being actively developed. Additionally, Google says that as of mid-April it will no longer be possible to create new apps.
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Google App Maker has only been in existence for a little over three years, giving businesses the opportunity to build custom apps with a minimum of coding. The end date for the service is January 19, 2021, and Google cites low usage as a reason for the closure.
Google sets out a timetable for what happens next:
| Date | What happens |
| January 27, 2020 |
|
| April 15, 2020 |
|
| January 19, 2021 |
|
For any organization that has come to rely on App Maker, Google points out that "due to the specific source code used for App Maker, you can't directly migrate your apps to another platform". The company goes on to suggest some possible courses of action:
- If you use App Maker to automate business processes: Use AppSheet, a new addition to our application development portfolio that is a no-code tool with capabilities similar to App Maker. App Maker data is stored in Cloud SQL, and AppSheet supports Cloud SQL databases, allowing you to build an application on the existing database tied to your App Maker app.
- If you use App Maker to develop apps: Use App Engine to build and deploy apps on a fully managed platform. App Maker data is stored in Cloud SQL, allowing you to build an App Engine app on the existing Cloud SQL databases tied to your App Maker apps.
- If you use App Maker for data collection: Use Google Forms, which has many new features that weren't available when App Maker launched.
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