Google Reader is retiring because its usage has declined, justifies the internet search giant

Internet search giant Google has announced that it will be retiring its RSS feed aggregator, Google Reader.

Google said in its company blog that the usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company they are pouring all their energy into fewer products.

The Reader application, which will be retired on July 1, was launched in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favourite websites, the Telegraph reports.

Google said users and developers interested in alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout service over the course of the next four months.

According to the paper, Google is also ending support for the Google Voice app for BlackBerrys, instead pointing users toward the HTML5 webapp.

Google will also no longer sell or update the desktop versions of its Snapseed photo editing app, the paper said.

The company also announced that it would be extending the use of its Google Shopping product listing adverts so they appear alongside search results on smartphones, as well as desktop computers, it added.

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