Path, a social networking-enabled photo sharing and messaging service, recently announced it’d be shutting down. Here’s their specific shutdown schedule and how to download your data.

Shutdown schedule

Based in San Francisco, Path was founded by Shawn Fanning and former Facebook executive Dave Morin. On September 17, 2018, they announced impending service discontinuation.

As of October 1, customers are no longer able to download or update their mobile Path app in App Store. On October 18, users will no longer be able to access the service. Path’s customer service will shut down on November 15.

How to download Path data

To retrieve a copy of your data, including your posts, images, text and videos, be sure to log in with your Path account at path.com/settings/backups prior to October 18, then enter an email address to which you would like to receive your backup files and other account data.

Alternatively, access settings within the latest version of the Path app on your iOS device, tap the big green button and enter your email address that you would like to receive the backup files. Again, you won’t be able to download your data after October 18, 2018. “We may not retain copies of any of your data on and from that date,” Path acknowledged.

A message from the founders

The founders wrote:

It’s with deep regret that we announce that we’ll stop providing our beloved service, Path. We started Path in 2010 as a small team of passionate and experienced designers and engineers. Over the years we have tried to lay out our mission: through technology and design we aim to be a source of happiness, meaning and connection to our users. Along our journey we have laughed and cried with you, and learned valuable lessons. And it is now inevitable to wind down the service to prioritize our work to serve you with better products and services. It has been a long journey and we sincerely thank each one of you for your years of love and support for Path.

Path debuted in November 2010 as a private social network that let you add up to a total of 500 contacts, as well as share your content privately with them. New social networks like Twitter and Instagram, in conjunction with Facebook’s constant deluge of new features, have unfortunately made Path less and less attractive and relevant to users over time.

And that, may friends, is a shame.

The world needs a private social network like Path. Furthermore, Path’s demise raises the important question: are people really willing to pay for a social network that didn’t compromise their privacy like Facebook (Path offered Premium subscriptions).

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