Work on the channel started in December 2012, shortly after Al Jazeera established an office in San Francisco.

In January 2012, members of the network's social media team relocated some of its staff to San Francisco to focus on building AJ+.

After months of research and numerous pilots, the AJMN executive management were convinced of the project and providing funding and resources to scale.

[4] The channel was announced as launched on June 13, 2014, by Al Jazeera PR with several videos posted to YouTube and a new Facebook page which it refers to as the AJ+ Community along with a new-look website with an updated logo.

[5] The channel was soft-launched during a presentation by Al Jazeera on new media at the Global Editors Network summit in Barcelona.

In September 2020, AJ+ was asked to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in the United States with the Trump Administration charging that the channel has engaged in political activities, backed by the royal family of Qatar.

[15] Al Jazeera condemned the decision and linked it to the results of 3 years long lobbying fulfilled following the signing of Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement.

The channel has branch offices in Doha, Qatar, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro, Kuala Lumpur and Nairobi.

[20] Despite being based in the United States, the content of the channel is formatted for a global audience similar to Al Jazeera English.

The app employed a card and stack structure for navigation, and focuses primarily on user and social engagement.

[citation needed] AJ+ has come under criticism, especially from American conservatives and pro-Israel publications, for a perceived anti-American, anti-Israeli, and pro-leftist slant in its reporting.

[36][37][38] The French National Audiovisual Institute has criticized AJ+ for its practice of generating viewer engagement through what it sees as one-sided reporting on emotional topics.

The video was translated into English by Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI TV), sparking widespread outcry against Al Jazeera and condemnation from Israeli government officials.