Google is killing off one of the best Google+ features next month

We knew it was going to happen, we just didn’t know when until Google announced an official date yesterday. According to the announcement, the company will be shutting down Google+ Photos on August 1st and will be replacing the popular service with the new stand-alone Google Photos app. What separates the new app from the old one is that you won’t need a Google+ account to access the useful service. 

Google today announced it will shut down Google+ Photos to make way for its new standalone Google Photos app that went live just a few months ago in late May. The search-giant will begin shutting down the older photos service starting August 1, first on Android, with the web and iOS options following soon after. The new stand-alone Google Photos app, unlike Google+ Photos, won’t require you to be signed up to the Google+ social network, meaning all users on Android, web and iOS will be able to use the app. Google Photos is also a little more powerful than its Google+ counterpart, giving users unlimited storage of 16MP photos and 1080p videos for free, editing options and the ability to share photos or videos via links rather than through emails. You’ll also get automatic syncing to Google Drive, a new timeline and automatic grouping of photos by people, places and things.