It seems as though it's finally time for Google to spin-off the popular Google+ Photos from the not-so-popular Google+.
Reports suggest that Google will be introducing the new Google Photos app at Google I/O 2015, with both an app and a desktop version of the revamped service in the works.
The split has long been anticipated by users, many of whom were happy to see Google add a photos section in Google Drive, a move that largely confirmed that the split was inevitable.
The app itself will reportedly show a Photos pinwheel animation when it is first launched, after which a tutorial for how to use the app will be shown. The app will be explained through a series of fun animations, with users then being able to change a few settings before being brought to a new set of tutorial animations.
Like the old Photos app, the new one will allow users to search through photos based on people or objects in them. Users will also be able to back up photos automatically and generally manage their photos from within the app.
New features in the app, however, include a revised interface, offering users a number of new "views." Photos can be sorted by day or month, but users will also be able to view using a "comfortable view," which essentially sorts photos by day and offers a view similar to what "albums" view currently does on the photos app.
A popular feature on the current Photos app, "Auto Awesome" has been replaced by the new "Assistant." Photos Assistant will have many of the same features as Auto Awesome; however, it will also offer a few new things, like the ability for users to create their own albums, stores, movies and collages. Previously, Auto Awesome only enabled users to create movies, gifs, or "mixes," which were essentially mini-albums with between 2 and 9 photos.
Of course, it's not only the mobile app that will be getting a refresh. Users will also be able to access their photos through photos.google.com, which currently redirects to the Google+ Photos page, but is expected to become its own website after the launch of the app.
Photos and videos will also be shareable from within the app using customized links. In fact, users will even be able to remove metadata from those photos to stop other people from being able to track a user's location or find their address.
It will certainly be interesting to play around with the new Google Photos app, but based on first impressions it seems as though the app is exactly what users were looking for.
