Is Gmail shutting down? Yes and no, but here’s the full story from Google

Spring is not yet here, but the rumors are becoming wilder and wilder. First, the OnePlus, Oppo partnership with Hasselblad was allegedly to be ending (the vivo/Zeiss collaboration was also said to be done), which sparked many discussions on the topic.

Now, someone on X/Twitter claims that Gmail, of all things, is shutting down (via Android Central).

There’s a viral post that shows a message relaying that Google will sunset Gmail later in 2024:

“As of August 1, 2024, Gmail will officially be sunsetted, marking the end of its service. This means Gmail will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails”, the message reads.

Many are taking the bait, and no wonder – mere hours ago, Google announced that it’s adding another app to its own graveyard: Google Pay shutting down in June.

Google has a long history of killing and rebranding apps, services, and hardware: 293 in total so far. There’s a dedicated “killedbygoogle.com” website that has them listed. The monochrome virtual obituary exudes a sense of solemnity and humbleness, offering a respectful backdrop for remembering loved ones.

But, back to the Gmail story: of course, it’s not real.

Here’s the answer for the Gmail team:

However, there’s a grain of truth in the satirical post that claims Google is sunsetting Gmail. Google is killing Basic HTML view on Gmail this year, per an email from 2023. A support page informs users as much and even includes a transition guide for some.