Bloomberg reports the company is planning to make Google+ Photos a standalone service, which would mean a Google user wouldn't need a Google+ account to save and share photos with Google. Photos would also presumably have their own app and portal separate from Google+.
Google is extracting photos from Google+ in a bid to attract more users, the report says, citing anonymous sources. The new service would still work with the social stream on Google+, although it may also be rebranded as part of the move.
Google Plans to Separate Photos From Google+
If true, the report aligns with two clear trends:
Google has been moving to downplay Google+ as a brand and has begun separating some services from the social network. It recently dropped the Google+ requirement for Google Apps subscribers to use Hangouts, and the service was essentially a no-show at the Google I/O 2014 developers conference.
Large, multi-featured services are spinning off individual features into standalone apps. Both Facebook and Foursquare have recently separated aspects of their user experiences into simpler, more focused apps. Facebook, for example, will soon require mobile users to download a separate app for messages.
Photos have been one of Google+'s strongest features. The service was one of the first to offer automatic backup of mobile photos and videos, and in 2013, former Google+ chief Vic Gundotra rolled out several well-received upgrades, including ways to automatically organize, touch up and create GIFs from photos saved to the service.
When asked about the report, a Google spokesperson gave the following emailed statement, “Over here in our darkroom, we’re always developing new ways for people to snap, share and say cheese.”
GOOGLE, APPS AND SOFTWARE, PHOTOS, TECH.
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