Just because Google+ and Wave were massive flops, that doesn’t mean Google is giving up on trying to launch a social communications app.
The Internet giant debuted a new app on Monday dubbed Spaces, which allows groups of people share and comment on content around any topic.
Google’s previous attempts at creating a rival social network to compete with Twitter or Facebook have been unsuccessful so far. The company shut down its social network Orkut in 2014, and social and work communications tool Wave was also shuttered in 2010—only a year after its launch. Google+ was the search giant’s next big bet on social, but unfortunately Google+ didn’t take off either.
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With Spaces, Google is trying its hand at social conversations specifically for groups. Within the app, users can find and share articles, videos, and images without leaving the app as Google Search, YouTube, and Chrome are built into the app itself. Basically, you don’t have to leave the app to find a link or video to share because search tools for YouTube and Google’s general search engine are baked into the app. Users can also search their own Spaces (or conversations) by keyword to find past conversations.
Google said that you can invite friends to participate in conversations by messaging them or via email. Users could also initiate conversations with groups through Google’s chat and video messaging app, Hangouts.
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It also appears the app is designed to be used broadly—not just for work communications. Google has suggested some examples of how users could use Spaces for everyday life events, ranging from planning a trip to just sharing an news article with friends.
Spaces, available for Android and iOS, is coming soon, but it is not yet in the Google Play store or Apple App Store yet.
