Google has announced it is shutting down App Maker, its low-code development environment.
App Maker was unveiled in 2016 and provided a way for IT departments, developers and enthusiasts to create apps to improve G Suite workflows. App Maker users will need to find another solution, however, as the development environment is nearing the end of its life.
In the blog post announcing the change, Google said existing apps made with App Maker will continue to work, and critical bugs will be addressed, but the tool is no longer under active development. Effective April 15, 2020, developers will no longer be able to create new applications and effective January 19, 2021, all App Maker apps will stop working.
The company says there is no migration path to other platforms, including any of its own tools. In the meantime, Google encourages app developers to start recreating their apps using AppSheet, a similar product the company acquired in mid-January. Of course, given the abandonment of App Maker, with no easy migration path, Google may have trouble convincing users to trust another of the company’s solutions.