We've known for a while now that Google+ was being shut down, but now we've got an exact date to circle on our calendar.

Google says that the consumer version of Google+ will shut down on April 2. On that date, Google will shut down Google+ accounts and any pages that users created, and it'll begin deleting content from the social network. Photos and videos in Google+ archives and on Google+ pages will be deleted as well.

As soon as February 4, Google will no longer allow you to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities, or events. Buttons that allow you to sign in to other sites and apps using Google+ will stop working on the coming weeks, but some may be replaced by a Google sign-in button that'll allow you to sign in using your Google account.

If you're a Google+ user, you can download your data before the social network shuts down.

Google originally revealed in October 2018 that it would be shutting down Google+ following the discovery of a serious security bug. Google explained that Google+ has not gained broad consumer or developer adoption, with 90 percent of sessions lasting less than five seconds. The shutdown was originally planned for August 2019, but after another major security bug was found with Google+ in December 2018, Google moved the shutdown up.

While Google+ never gained significant traction with consumers, the social network still had some nice ideas and did gain something of a following. That's why it's disappointing to see it going. At least we've got plenty of warning of the impending shutdown, though, so users can download all of their data before Google deletes it permanently.