Google+, the search giant's failed social network, will finally be laid to rest on Tuesday morning.

Launched in 2011 and competing with Facebook and Twitter, it was Google's fourth attempt at a social network.

But the platform failed to win people over, even after Google pushed it upon the thriving YouTube community.

By the end of 2011, analysts were already writing obituaries. But Google decided to close the site only after discovering a data breach, in 2018.


WHAT KILLED GOOGLE+

In April 2014, the founder of Google+,, Vic Gundotra left the company and changes came swiftly.

Successful features such as Hangouts and Photos were separated from Google+ and run as independent services.

In 2015, Google+ had a makeover designed to focus on "communities" but this also failed to ignite interest in the platform.

In the end, it was the discovery of two data breaches that spurred Google to close the platform.

In 2018, it admitted bugs in its software meant the private information of up to 52 million members had been accessible by third-party developers.

Suddenly, Google was happy to admit that few people genuinely used the platform.

"The consumer version of Google+ currently has low usage and engagement - 90% of Google+ user sessions are less than five seconds," it said in a blog

Google+ has now been commemorated on both the Google Graveyard