Sometimes having the same thing twice is nice: that sweater you love or an extra toothbrush, you know, just in case. But having two similarly named photo synching and sharing applications – Google+ Photos and Google Photos – that pretty much do the same thing is a bit, well, redundant. And so, Google announced yesterday that it plans to send Google+ Photos to pasture with all the other outdated and seldom used apps and programs that came before it.

Google announced in a post on its social network site, Google+, that staring on Aug. 1 it will begin winding down Google+ Photos.

According to the tech company, the Android version of Google+ Photos will be the first to shutter, with the web and iOS versions going dark shortly after.

The company says the decision to shut down the platform was made in an effort to “ensure everyone has the best photo experience we can deliver.”

The move isn’t exactly surprising considering the company recently launched a standalone cloud photo and video storage app, Google Photos, which offers many of the same options as Google+ Photos.

The biggest difference between the two platforms is that with Google+ users had to actually visit the network on the web to access photos, while Google Photos has its own dedicated web interface, 9to5 Google reports.

Individuals still using Google+ Photos can transfer their stored pictures to Google Photos via a link found on their Google+ account photo page.

Google assures users that if they aren’t quick enough in transferring their content, it won’t simply vanish. Instead, photos and video will still remain available for download through Google Takeout, a program that allows users to download a copy of their data stored within Google products.

Goodbye Google+ Photos, hello +Google Photos! [Google]
Google+ Photos being discontinued August 1st following standalone Photos service debut [9to5 Google]

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