iGoogle was a Web portal that Google launched in 2005. It was supposed to be a home page from where users started browsing the internet. However, it was much more.
Users could customize how their iGoogle page looked like and could add different widgets to display various things – YouTube videos, photos, their current mood of feeling, daily literary quotes, a chat, and much more.
When Google launched the tool, it quickly became their fastest-growing product. It gained 7 million users in two years, and by the end of 2007, it became available in more than 70 countries and was translated into 42 languages. By next year, it hit 20% of Google’s search traffic.
Google didn’t provide an exact reason for discontinuing the service when they announced the decision in 2012. They shared with users that the mobile market was centering on platforms like Chrome and Android, and tools like iGoogle weren’t as relevant anymore.
Users had until November 1, 2013, to find an alternative to the tool. After that, the service was no longer available, and searches were redirected to Google’s landing page. Google also promoted their Google+ platform as an alternative to the social aspect of the iGoogle tool.
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