Has Google+ given up on taking on Facebook? Not necessarily. But it does intend to expand its reach by making its photo service available to non-Google+ subscribers as well.
It's been three years since Google+ was launched and it has still yet to surpass Facebook on various levels. While it may have had difficulties dealing with the competition, it has done great work with Google+ Photos, reaping praise from photographers using the service. And in a classic example of playing up strengths, Google is turning to this service to reel in more users.
Google+ Photos incorporates different features that lets users store and share images that is available to anyone online. Photos are also automatically backed up to provide users peace of mind while numerous enhancements and effects tools are offered as well for better image editing.
When Photos is separated from Google+, it will likely be a standalone service, offering access to users who are not part of the social network It may even undergo rebranding to boost the impact of the separation but so far Google has not made any comments about this news. It does have a few cryptic words to share: "Over here in our darkroom, we're always developing new ways for people to snap, share and say cheese," writes Google in a statement.
While how far the separation would is still unclear, it may give Google+ Photos a better chance at taking on rivals. Maybe Google is also following in the footsteps of Facebook which acquired Instagram in 2012 but has given the photo-sharing service relative independence.
Then-head of Google+ Vic Gundotra used Photos to attract more users to the social networking service, introducing new features that allowed for improved editing and enhancing of both photos and videos in October. At the time, he said that Photos was the result of Google's efforts at "doing nothing less than revolutionizing the feel of photography." Gundotra left Google in April.
There are more than 500 million active Google+ users, about 300 million of which are "in-stream" users or those who have been actively viewing the main feed of the site. This is in line with reports that only half of the reported number of Google+ users actually use the social networking site, with the rest making up individuals who simple created accounts to use Google+ services. Facebook still dominates the pack with one billion users.
