Last year, Microsoft shut down its Groove Music Service and encouraged users to switch over to Spotify instead. It promised, however, that it'll continue supporting the app for Windows 10 users. That support won't continue on the iOS and Android versions of the app, though.
"Tomorrow we're notifying customers that on December 1, 2018, the Groove Music iOS and Android apps will also be retired and, effective June 1, are no longer available for download," according to a Microsoft spokesperson, in a report by The Verge. Even if users have the app installed, they will no longer function on and after the said date.
Groove Says Goodbye To iOS And Android
That means mobile users will no longer be able to use Groove Music as a service to access music files from the company's OneDrive cloud storage service. That being said, Microsoft confirms that those files will still be available and playable right within OneDrive, and other apps may be able to access them as well. Obviously, users won't have the same experience as they would using Groove, but it's clear Microsoft is done trying to give users an alternative music service, what with Spotify and Apple Music dominating the music listening landscape.
"Your personal music files will continue to be available in OneDrive. You can keep listening to those files, and your playlists, with the Windows 10 Groove Music apps on PC, Xbox, or Windows Phone," writes Microsoft in a FAQ.
As mentioned, Microsoft said users should switch to Spotify when it shut down its own service last October, but this time it's pointing to Google Play Music and iTunes Match instead.
Groove Is Going Away, But Not Entirely
Groove Music won't go away entirely. Support and development will continue on Microsoft's end, and it'll still be the default music player on Windows 10 and other compatible devices. It should also be noted that Groove apps for PC, Xbox, and Windows Phones will continue to be functional.
But the slow phasing-out of Groove was to be expected. What was once an excellent online music service has now been relegated to being the default apps on Windows operating systems, with its online capabilities clipped. It's the result of many things, chief of which is the radically changed music industry, which now prefers streaming over buying individual albums or tracks.
Did you enjoy the Groove Music Service while it still existed? Are you going to miss the Groove app for iOS and Android? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
