Buzz
While platforms like Facebook and TikTok dominate today, others like Friendster and Vine have been left behind. Many of us joined these sites, watched their rapid rise, and eventually saw their decline. What caused some to thrive while others failed? Here’s a look at 11 defunct social media platforms you might have forgotten, along with the reasons they couldn’t sustain their popularity.
Orkut
Google has long aimed to create a successful social network. In January 2004, they introduced Orkut, a platform designed for online connections and messaging. (The name comes from its creator, Orkut Büyükkökten, a Google employee at the time.)
Despite its immense popularity in Brazil, Orkut struggled to gain traction in the U.S., likely overshadowed by Myspace, which launched in August 2003, and later Facebook. Issues with security and content moderation also plagued the platform, leading Google to shut it down in 2014.
Google Buzz
In 2010, Google made another attempt at social media with Google Buzz, a microblogging and messaging feature integrated directly into Gmail.
Google+
Following the failures of Orkut and Google Buzz, Google introduced Google+ in June 2011. The platform enabled users to share photos and updates with customizable friend groups (known as “Circles”) and engage in video chats (called “Hangouts”). It also seamlessly connected with other Google services like Google Drive, Blogger, and YouTube. However, its confusing interface and concerns over data security led to a decline in users, and Google ultimately discontinued the platform in early 2019.
Friendster
Launched in 2002, Friendster was among the earliest social networks to achieve widespread success. It enabled users to build profiles and connect with friends and family. The name Friendster is a blend of the words
Within just six months of its launch, Friendster amassed over 3 million active users, marking a rapid rise to fame. However, the platform faced significant challenges. Jonathan Abrams, the founder, highlighted that technical issues were the primary downfall, stating that users often struggled to log in for nearly two years. These problems led to a loss of market share and drove users to newer platforms like Myspace.
While its popularity waned in the U.S. by the late 2000s, Friendster maintained a strong presence in countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. In 2009, it was acquired by MOL Global, a major Asian internet provider, and reached its peak with over 115 million users, primarily from Asia. However, declining engagement led to its eventual shutdown in 2015.
Ping
The platform allowed users to explore and share music in innovative ways while connecting with friends and following their favorite artists for updates on new releases and tour schedules. Despite its initial success, with over 1 million users signing up within 48 hours of launch, Ping faced challenges with fake profiles and spam, leading Apple to quietly shut it down in 2012.
FriendFeed
In 2007, FriendFeed emerged as a real-time aggregator, pulling content like videos, photos, news, and music from various social networks and websites. It served as a centralized hub for online activity, compiling everything into a single, continuous feed.
Facebook acquired FriendFeed in 2009 for approximately $50 million, including $15 million in cash and $32.5 million in Facebook stock. However, due to declining user engagement, Facebook discontinued the platform in 2015, stating that the community had significantly diminished over the years.
Vine
At its peak, the platform boasted around 200 million active users, but it struggled to compete with rising video-sharing apps like Instagram and Snapchat. A major challenge was its inability to monetize short-form videos effectively, as integrating ads or sponsored content into six-second loops proved difficult.
Periscope
Although Meerkat, a competing live-streaming app, debuted a few weeks earlier in early 2015, Periscope quickly gained over 10 million users thanks to its intuitive design, user-friendly controls, and secure platform.
Path
Launched in 2010 for iPhone and Android, Path was an app-based service that enabled users to share photos, locations, and personal journal entries exclusively with a select group of friends and family, referred to as their “Inner Circle.”
Path aimed to create a more intimate social networking experience by limiting users to 50 followers, ensuring connections remained personal and close-knit. This number was inspired by anthropologist Robin Dunbar’s research, which suggests humans can only maintain meaningful relationships with around 40 to 60 people.
Despite its initial vision, Path struggled to grow as user engagement lagged. In 2012, the platform increased the follower limit to 150 and later removed it entirely to attract more users. At its height, Path reached 50 million users worldwide.
Yik Yak
Launched in 2013, Yik Yak was a unique messaging app that allowed users to post anonymously and view messages from others within a five-mile radius, creating a hyper-local community. Similar to Reddit, users could upvote posts, with the most popular rising to the top. This feature made it a hit on college campuses, where students used it to connect and share content.
However, Yik Yak’s lack of content moderation led to widespread issues like cyberbullying and hate speech, contributing to its decline. Some schools even blocked the app on their Wi-Fi networks due to its controversial content. In 2016, Yik Yak introduced user handles, undermining its original appeal of anonymity.
The app was officially shut down in 2017 but was later acquired by Square, Inc. (now Block, Inc.) for $1 million, primarily for its intellectual property and engineering talent. Despite a surprise relaunch in 2021 with a focus on user safety and stricter guidelines, Yik Yak ceased support for Android users in March 2023, sparking speculation about its future.
Yahoo! 360°
Few recall Yahoo!’s venture into social networking with Yahoo! 360°, launched in June 2005 as an invite-only platform. It integrated services like Flickr, Geocities, Yahoo! Groups, and Yahoo! Messenger, allowing users to blog, share photos, and connect with friends and family.
While Yahoo! 360° struggled to gain traction in the U.S., it found a significant audience in Vietnam, prompting the creation of Yahoo! 360° Plus for the Vietnamese market in 2008. However, due to declining users and insufficient support, Yahoo! discontinued the service in the U.S. in 2009 and in Vietnam by 2013.
