I’m sure that many of you have read or heard that Google will be shutting down its famed Google Reader. If you search, you will find tons of articles referencing alternatives that users can use, there was a mad dash by users to replace the reader, and a mad dash by companies to claim the upcoming vacancy.
As if pulling the rug out from underneath us with that wasn’t enough, Google has now shut down Exchange support for Gmail on new devices. Meaning that, at least for now, if you have Exchange set up on your iPhone, it will continue to work. However, if you get a new phone, next time you will not be able to connect via this method. I just discovered this after performing a brief search when I tried to set up Exchange email on my replacement iPhone and it continued to fail.
This is disappointing, as I used this method not only to receive my emails but also to do a two-way sync of my contacts. It’s concerning to see changes like this, which highlight the risks of relying on third parties to manage your data. What happens if they decide to stop supporting certain services or features? This situation with Exchange and Reader illustrates that uncertainty.
This is the second time Google has made such changes that affect long-time users. Whether you like it or not, I’m currently considering Outlook email and thinking about moving my data over to iCloud or even my own servers. At this point, I’m still figuring out the best path forward but hope to have a plan soon.
Update The process to sync up Google now adds one extra step but seems to work the same. I’m planning to test out the method provided by our friends over at Imore.com.
Feel free to share any ideas you may have here. If you have found any good alternatives to either the Reader or the Sync, please share them with us.
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