Seagate’s Wuala cloud-storage service closed on November 15, 2015. Wuala had stopped new storage purchases and account renewals months earlier, then made active accounts read-only. At shutdown, users lost access to their content and Wuala said the data would be deleted. The dates matter: this was a completed 2015 closure, not a current shutdown notice.
Wuala’s shutdown happened in three stages
Wuala’s August 2015 notice gave customers a sequence of deadlines. It said the service would stop taking purchases and renewals, restrict accounts to read-only access, and then terminate service and delete cloud-stored files.
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| August 17, 2015 | Wuala stopped accepting storage purchases and account renewals. |
| September 30, 2015 | Active accounts became read-only. |
| November 15, 2015 | Wuala terminated the service and said cloud-stored data would be deleted; users would no longer be able to access their content. |
The milestone dates and consequences were set out in Wuala’s shutdown notice, reproduced by StorageNewsletter.
What Wuala told customers to do
Wuala urged users to download their files and make a backup before November 15, 2015. The notice named a PC, Mac, external hard drive, or another cloud-storage provider as possible destinations. A local copy on a computer or drive is separate from a copy held by another online provider; the notice did not compare the options’ cost, capacity, security, or performance.
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“Please download the content in your Wuala account and safely backup it to your PC, Mac, external hard drive or another cloud storage provider.”
Wuala also warned that access would end and the content would be deleted after the termination date. The notice did not describe any way to recover files from Wuala after closure. It therefore should not be read as a route to retrieve Wuala data today.
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- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Refunds were limited to eligible prepaid subscribers
The shutdown notice said active subscribers with prepaid annual subscriptions could be eligible for refunds of unused subscription fees, subject to exceptions. It said eligible refunds would be processed automatically. That qualification does not mean every Wuala user, subscription type, or unused balance qualified.
Why Seagate said it was closing Wuala
Contemporaneous reports described Wuala as a Zurich startup acquired by LaCie in 2009, with LaCie owned by Seagate at the time. TechCrunch’s August 2015 report covered the shutdown and that ownership history.
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- Easy-to-use desktop hard drive—simply plug in the power adapter and USB cable
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The Register reported that a Seagate spokesperson said the company was discontinuing Wuala to focus on areas with better growth and revenue prospects. The spokesperson also pointed to partnerships with established consumer and small-to-medium-business cloud offerings as valuable to customers. That is Seagate’s stated rationale as reported at the time, not an independently established account of the company’s motives.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Wuala’s historical Tresorit recommendation
Wuala’s legacy page says the service closed on November 15, 2015, after seven years, and records that Wuala recommended Tresorit to former users as an alternative. This documents a historical recommendation only; it does not establish that a migration offer, partnership, or particular terms are available now. See Wuala’s legacy page.
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