A recent viral post on X left netizens worried as it claimed that Gmail was “coming to a close”.
Google swiftly responded to the hoax, posting on its official Gmail X account that, “Gmail is here to stay”. So relax, Gmail is not going anywhere anytime soon.
An email screenshot from Google titled ‘Google is sunsetting Gmail’ was shared in the post that soon spread like wildfire on the internet, as people panicked that the popular email service might come to a complete end.
“We are reaching out to share an important update about Gmail,” the message, supposedly attributed to Google, read. “After years of connecting millions worldwide, enabling seamless communication, and fostering countless connections, the journey of Gmail is coming to a close. As of August 1, 2024, Gmail will officially be sunsetted, marking the end of its service.”
The message continued: “This means that as of this date, Gmail will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails. The decision to sunset Gmail has been made with careful consideration of the evolving digital landscape and our commitment to providing high-quality, innovative solutions that meet the needs of our users. “
The post created a lot of noise in the Gmail community and its loyal users as it was viewed more than 4 million times by Thursday evening. But to some, the screenshot looked like a completely fake document or a hoax.
Gizmodo pointed out that the post appears to be a photoshopped Google email from 2023 when the tech giant announced its plans to put an end to Gmail Basic HTML view.
It only changed its default Gmail view which used to be ‘basic HTML’ to a new and more colourful view. This change was made in January 2024.
“The Gmail Basic HTML views are previous versions of Gmail that were replaced by their modern successors 10+ years ago and do not include full Gmail feature functionality,” the previous email read.
WION
