Google Jamboard
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2016 |
| Product Type | Educational Technology(ed-tech) |
| In Production | No |
| Official Website | https://support.google.com/jamboard/answer/14084927 |
Google Jamboard was a $4,999 interactive digital whiteboard launched in 2017.[1] In September 2023, Google announced in that Google Jamboard would have its primary features disabled by October 2024 and all user data permanently deleted by December 2024.[2]
Consumer-impact summary[edit | edit source]
Freedom[edit | edit source]
According to the Jamboard hardware agreement, "Google is under no obligation to provide Customer with Hardware, Hardware replacement, Hardware updates, or Hardware support under this Agreement."[3] Users are prohibited from the following actions: "adapt, alter, modify, decompile, translate, disassemble, or reverse engineer the Service and/or the Hardware".[3]
Privacy[edit | edit source]
Jamboard utilized the same privacy policy as all Google services in Google Drive, which states "we will not use a Private document for marketing or promotional campaigns" and "we will not change a Private document into a Public one."[4]
Business model[edit | edit source]
Google received revenue from the upfront sale of the Jamboard whiteboards alongside Workspace (previously G-Suite) subscriptions from educational and business establishments.[5]
Market control[edit | edit source]
Other brands of smart white boards include Microsoft's Surface Hub, and Avocor's Series One Board and Deck.[6] On the software side, there is FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro.[6]
Incidents[edit | edit source]
Remote deactivation & forced obsolescence[edit | edit source]
On September 28, 2023, Google announced the complete shutdown of Jamboard. They created a timeline that would disable all cloud features by October 1, 2024 and permanently delete all user data by December 31, 2024.[7] This decision affected many organizations that paid $4,999 per device plus $600 annual management fees. Educational institutions were particularly impacted, as the deactivation affected curriculum they had built around the platform.[8]
The shutdown converted devices into "unlicensed mode" where they could not save content, use Google Meet, or use any cloud-connected functions. After December 31, 2024, the devices lost about 90% of their capabilities, functioning only as basic HDMI displays.[2]
Data loss & forced migration[edit | edit source]
Google's shutdown included permanent deletion of all user-created content ("Jams") on December 31, 2024, forcing organizations to manually export years of collaborative work. The company offered only "best-effort" PDF conversion, with users reporting blank PDFs and loss of interactive elements.[9]
Educational institutions reported losing hundreds of lesson plans integrated into their teaching workflows, with one Change.org petition gathering 498 supporters highlighting the impact on "youngest English language learners" and COVID-era remote learning materials.[10] The forced migration to alternative platforms like FigJam, Miro, or Lucidspark required additional investments of more than $7,000 per replacement when including new hardware, software subscriptions, and implementation costs.
Lack of compensation for hardware purchasers[edit | edit source]
Despite the very large up-front financial investment by customers, Google offered zero hardware compensation for non-educational buyers who purchased the devices. Educational institutions received only vague promises of compensation "on a partner-by-partner basis" without specific details.[6]
The devices cannot run alternative software due to locked bootloaders and proprietary firmware, making them permanently obsolete once Google's servers shut down. A group of tech-savvy individuals on the XDA-developers forum ported lineageOS to the devices to give them increased functionality. [11] Factory resets prompt users to enter activation codes that cannot be obtained.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2017-05-23). "Google made a $5,000 whiteboard — and it's weirdly fun". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Google Jamboard is winding down". Google Support. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Jamboard Hardware Agreement". Google Workspace. Archived from the original on 2025-06-15. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ "Google Drive Terms of Service". Google Drive. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ Edwards, Luke (2024-09-09). "Using Google Jamboard Before It Is Shut Down in 2025". Tech Learning. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "The next phase of digital whiteboarding for Google Workspace". Google Workspace Updates. 2023-09-28.
- ↑ "Google shutting down Jamboard, offering transition to other whiteboard apps". 9to5Google. 2023-09-28.
- ↑ BeauHD (2023-09-29). "$5,000 Google Jamboard Dies In 2024 -- Cloud-Based Apps Will Stop Working, Too". Slashdot.
- ↑ "Export your jams". Google Support. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ "Petition · Save Jamboard". Change.org.
- ↑ npjohnson (2025-08-21). "[UNOFFICIAL] LineageOS 22 for the Google Jamboard - WIP | XDA Forums". XDA-Forums. Retrieved 2025-09-01.