Minus the plus sign: Google+ Photos shutting down Aug 1

August 1 will be an important date for people who store their photos on Google's Google+ social network: that's when Google+ Photos will disappear, to be replaced by Google Photos.

 

"In an effort to ensure everyone has the best photos experience we can deliver, on August 1st we’ll start to shut down Google+ Photos -- initially on Android, and soon thereafter on the Web and iOS," it said.

Google launched the new Google Photos last May to store users' photos and videos, storing unlimited high quality photos and videos for free and organizing them.

 

Users still on Google+ Photos may have to make the switch now, it said.  Anrdoid users may see a prompt in Google+ Photos with a link to download the new Google Photos.

 

"Don’t worry, all your photos and videos will still be saved and available after you switch to the new, stand-alone Google Photos app. With the new app you’ll still be able to backup, edit, and share your photos and videos, with unlimited storage, automatic organization, and more," Google said.

 

The Next Web said this move is not much of a surprise, as Google’s Vice President of Products Bradley Horowitz had said Google+ was undergoing a “renaissance in thinking of what Plus is and for.”

 

"For Horowitz, Plus should be about connecting people with similar interests together, not a catch-all social service," The Next Web said.  — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News