Google+ Photos Out By August 1, Google Photos In

Market dominating search engine Google has announced to close Google+ Photos from 1st August on Android, thereafter on the Web and iOS.

Google+ Photos has been sending prompts to Android users that includes a download link to Google Photos.

Google+ Photos is retiring though the service will still be accessible. The users will still be able to post their photos and videos with their followers. They will remain safely with Google until the user changes to Google Photos. Google failed to make it clear on the first announcement but are now answering to all the questions and are providing more details about the service.

The change is actually happening on the private photo management functions of Google+. Apparently the best way to let people know you’ve added new features to your product is by removing the “+” from the name.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Google’s Anil Sabharwal – the head of Google Photos – said that the company will effectively “shut down” Google+ Photos feature and replace it with its new, May-launched Google Photos service.

Google+ Photos is a relic of the times when Google hoped that the social network can become a hit and compete with Facebook as the best social network.

The new Google Photos service allows users to upload unlimited photos at 16 megapixels and videos at 1080p full HD resolution for free – good enough for most mobile and amateur photographers out there. “An easy way to find these is to visit the Photos tab of your Profile page”. Users of the regular service can still use it. But it will be a hassle going back and forth.

Recent news about Google Photos shutting down has raised a lot of question in online communities and misunderstandings about the entire service shutting down. Sabharwal even explained that keeping both photo services alive and fully functional wouldn’t be feasible for Google. “Most notably, it is confusing to users why we have two offerings that virtually do the same thing, and it means our team needs to divide its focus rather than working on building a single, great user experience”. The photos and videos in Google Photos can be organized in groups by location, by timeline, or by different tags.