App Maker is a business in the Software & Hardware sector started in 2016. It had potential but struggled to find its market. By 2021, it closed its doors.

General Information

• Category: Software & Hardware
• Started: 2016
• Failure Cause: No Market Need
• Closed: 2021

Description

App Maker was a simple tool in G Suite for building business apps. It allowed anyone, even without coding skills, to create custom applications easily.

The drag-and-drop interface made it user-friendly. For those skilled in CSS, JavaScript, HTML, and jQuery, app customization options were available.

Users can use Google Analytics to track app performance and usage frequency. 

Cause of Failure

App Maker launched in 2016 as part of an Early Adopter Program. By 2018, it was available to all G Suite users. However, usage rates were not what Google hoped for. In January 2020, the company announced the service would end on January 19, 2021.

A possible reason for this decision was Google’s acquisition of AppSheet, a no-code development platform. AppSheet lets users easily create scalable apps for Android, Maps, and Google Analytics.

At the same time, one of the creators of App Maker stated in an interview:

“Really saddened by this shut down, for the continued reputation damage that’s being done, because it’s his baby (and you don’t often get to create an entirely new public product at Google), and because He still believe that the world needs more and better tools that allow non- and casual programmers to build software to solve their own problems.”

After the news, Google offered alternatives to users. They suggested AppSheet for automating business tasks. For developing new apps, Google’s App Engine was recommended. Google Forms was also available for data collection needs.

FAQs

– What is App Maker? 

App Maker was a tool in G Suite that helped users build custom business apps without needing to code a lot. It had a simple drag-and-drop design and allowed users to customize their apps using web technologies.

– Why did App Maker fail? 

App Maker did not gain much traction after launching for all G Suite users. The main reasons for its closure included a lack of demand and strong competition from tools like AppSheet.

– When did App Maker officially close? 

App Maker was set to shut down in January 2020, with the service ending on January 19, 2021.

– What alternatives did Google offer for App Maker users? 

Google suggested AppSheet for automating business tasks and creating new applications. For gathering data, Google Forms was also recommended as a replacement.