Google Jamboard to Cease Operations in 2024: What Users Need to Know

Originally designed for educational institutions and businesses, Google Jamboard was introduced as a digital whiteboard, enabling real-time collaboration from any location where two of these devices were available. However, after a span of eight years, Google has decided to phase out both the hardware and the associated cloud applications by late 2024.

Much like the Surface Hub, the Google Jamboard is a large-screen device primarily intended for use in conference rooms or classrooms rather than residential settings. It functions similarly to a traditional whiteboard but with the added benefit of internet connectivity, although this requirement for connectivity has been one of its notable limitations.

The discontinuation of Jamboard doesn’t mean schools and businesses will lose all their data. Google has committed to collaborating with third-party applications such as FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro to establish a “retention and migration path,” the details of which will be provided at a later, unspecified date.

Regrettably, the sizable 55-inch touch screen will essentially become a non-functional fixture on the wall. This is partly due to the fact that Jamboard does not operate on a standard operating system. While it technically runs on Android, it has been extensively customized to the extent that its underlying operating system is not easily discernible. Consequently, there are no options for upgrading or transitioning to a different operating system, and given its lack of local storage, there is limited utility even if one were to attempt such a transition.

Support for Jamboard, including updates, will conclude on September 30, 2024. Subscribers with upcoming renewal dates will only have the option to renew until that date. Starting from October 1, 2024, it will no longer be possible to create new “Jams” (the term Google uses for whiteboard slides), and the Jamboard app will transition into “view only” mode at some point between that date and December. After December 31, all Jam files will be permanently deleted from the cloud, underscoring the importance of transitioning before that deadline.