‘Was afraid for a second’ say panicked Google fans over handy feature being killed that sounds just like beloved app

GOOGLE has done away with an experimental tool less than a year after it was announced.

Google Search Labs began testing a feature called Notes back in November. However, it appears the tech giant has decided not to move forward with it.

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Notes in Search Labs functioned similarly to social forums like Reddit and Community Notes on X, formerly Twitter.

The tool would enable users to leave “helpful tips about an article” in Google Search results or Discover.

Users could like, share, and save other users' Notes, and Google would leverage this feedback in its search algorithms.

Just eight months later, it seems the experiment has come roaring to a halt.

Notes will now be available until the end of July, while users can download any notes they've left until the end of August.

In a statement to media outlets, Google reiterated that Search Labs is a "testbed for bold exploration" and not all experiments are expected to launch.

"We’ve seen in our research that people want to hear from others like them and Notes was an exploration of how to help people share their knowledge right on Search," the company wrote.

"We’re excited to continue testing new ways to connect people to authentic, relatable voices and look forward to bringing some of our learnings from Notes into future product experiences.”

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News of the discontinued feature sparked confusion across social media, with many netizens confusing Notes with similar apps.

"I thought they were ending Keep, was afraid there for a second," one Reddit user remarked, evidently mixing it up with Google's free note-taking app.

"Literally never heard of it before," another Redditor proclaimed before likening Notes to an older discontinued feature.

"They used to have some wiki system where you could write notes and instructions and attach it to every site on the internet. Not sure why they re-tested an idea they'd already tested 10 years ago and dropped."

Several users slammed Google's business practices, accusing the tech giant of repeatedly developing projects only to leave them behind.

"People got promoted for this work and moved on to the next shiny thing for their next promo, leaving this product to rot. Typical," one user wrote.

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The company has caught flak for abandoning projects in the past.

The losses are so extensive that an open-source list has sprung up, aptly titled the "Google Graveyard."

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The most recent tool to go was VPN by Google One, discontinued last month.

The virtual private network was designed to provide users with an extra layer of security by encrypting their internet traffic.