Google Jamboard Retirement (2024)

Environment

U-M Google, Jamboard

Issue

Google retired the Google Jamboard service/app and physical device support on October 1, 2024, and will officially shut down the service on December 31, 2024.

Resolution

Google announced in 2023 that they were retiring the Google Jamboard (whiteboarding) service/app, including the physical Jamboard devices.

Retirement timeline

  • Beginning October 1, 2024:
    • The Jamboard service will become view-only.
      • You can no longer create new Jams or edit existing ones on any platform, including the web, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Jamboard devices.
      • Google will begin automatically converting existing Jams to PDFs. The PDFs will be saved in the same Drive location as the Jam.
        • Google informed us that PDF conversions are done on a “best-effort basis.” If you would like to ensure your Jams are converted before the service is shut down on December 31, we recommend exporting your Jams (as PDFs or PNGs) manually as soon as possible.
        • The PDF will have the same created and last modified dates as the original Jam.
        • The PDF willl be shared with the same collaborators that the Jam was shared with.
        • Once a PDF has been created via conversion, any changes to the original Jam file, such as file location or shared list, will not be carried over to the PDF.
        • If ownership of the Jam was transferred to a new individual, but the new owner has not accepted it, the original owner will receive the PDF in Drive.
        • After your Jams are converted to PDFs, the original Jam files will remain in Drive until December 31.
    • The physical Jamboard device will go into “offline mode.”
      • You can no longer save or open a Jamboard file (“Jam”) or access Google Meet on the device. It will also no longer save information to the cloud.
      • Google stops releasing security updates and new features for the device.
      • The device can still be used as an offline whiteboard or as a secondary display via HDMI.
      • Google informed us that a device update to use offline mode will be released in “Summer 2024.”
      • ITS is in contact with Jamboard device owners via targeted communications.
      • Learn more about the Jamboard device end-of-life.
  • After December 31, 2024, you will no longer be able to access the Jamboard service on any platform or your original Jam files. Any remaining Jam files will be permanently deleted. The service will be officially shut down.

Actions to take before December 31

Before December 31, 2024, you should download and export your Jam files. Although Google states they will be automatically converting existing Jams to PDFs, we recommend downloading them yourself just in case.

You can export a Jam file as a PDF or PNG file from your computer, the Jamboard mobile app, or Google Drive. You can also export a Jam file from a Jamboard device.

Additional Information

  • Banners began appearing at jamboard.google.com stating: "Jamboard is going away on October 1." (A screenshot is attached to this article.)
  • ITS doesn't offer an alternative solution to replace the Google Jamboard whiteboarding service. If you are interested in another whiteboarding service, you should explore other third-party solutions within your unit.
    • This includes the Avocor Google Board 65 replacement program Google offers, which, unlike Jamboard, includes annual licensing fees. Because of this, ITS cannot accommodate the transition from Jamboard to the new device nor attach it as needed to the U-M Google environment.
  • Google Help Center: Google Jamboard is winding down
  • Google Help Center: Prepare for Jamboard to wind down

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.

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