Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Google Photos now has a messaging component
- Google Photos is Google's photo app, which offers free unlimited storage.
- Now, Google Photos will have a messaging feature within the app, creating an easier way to share photos.
- The company has a history of creating and later abandoning messaging services, but this one might be useful enough to stick around.
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Google just made it easier to share within Google Photos while simultaneously launching a new messaging service.
Google Photos will now have a native messaging feature where users can send each other individual photos and respond in a thread. Previously, the only way to share within the app was to create a shared album with a single photo, so this update streamlines that process.
The person receiving the photo must have a Google account, but they're free and quick to create, if for some reason you want to send a photo to someone without an account. Of course, there's still the option to send over text, iMessage, or email.
Google has created several other chat services that were abandoned, combined, or discontinued. There was GChat, Google Buzz, Google Wave, and Allo, all of which no longer exist. But the ability to send photos within Google Photos - and see what others say about them in a thread - feels like the kind of feature that might have a better chance of sticking around.
The update was announced Tuesday, and will roll out to all users over the next week. Here's how to use it.
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