Oh, no! Google is retiring more of it services! This time, it's Latitude. Latitude is one of Google's oldest location-based services, and it has been around for a long time now. Google is pulling the plug on all Latitude properties including badges, API, mobile apps, and website. The date of doom for Google Latitude is August 9th.

Why is Google killing Latitude? The company wants Latitude users to focus on Google Plus instead. Google has recently updated check-in and location sharing features in Google Plus, and that's where Google is sending current Latitude users. The thing is, though, that there aren't a lot of Latitude users left, so this doesn't come as much of a shock. What's more shocking is that Google is still trying to push G+.

Focusing On Google Plus

I have seen Google Plus activity pick up over the past few months. But, Google Plus still isn't on par with Facebook or other social networks. There's just something too unfamiliar about Google Plus that prevents the network from exploding for most people. However, Google isn't giving up on G+.

In fact, Google spends a good amount of time updating Google Plus regularly, and the latest elimination of Latitude is just another way that Google is trying to breathe life into Plus.

If you happen to be one of the few that still use Latitude, you will find that all of your friends, information, and updates will be deleted on August 9th. Google isn't messing around when it comes to getting rid of the Latitude service completely. You won't be able to check-in using Latitude after August 9th either. But, what if you use Google Plus on iOS?

Location Sharing Limitations

The Google Plus app for Android already includes a location sharing feature. However, this is not the case for iOS. The Google Plus app on iOS doesn't come with location sharing options, though Google has said that this feature is "coming soon." When "soon" is, though, is unclear.

For some, the elimination of Latitude might be a sad thing, but, really, do you need to let people know where you are at every second of the day? Sure, Google Plus will have location features soon for all users, but, again, think twice before you let the world know where you are.

Is Location-Based Necessary?

Location-based services such as this one can be fun and useful if you want to track someone without actually calling them or texting them, but it's not a feature that most people need to have. Still, Latitude users, your accounts will be wiped out on August 9th. My recommendation is to use the services while you can, and create a Google Plus account in the meantime.

Or, if you can live without it, just skip the whole location-finder feature to begin with. There are plenty of other ways to check-in and let people know where you are - when you want them to know where you are! Remember: August 9th is that cut-off date for Latitude, so get ready to let this one go!