Google Planning to Separate Photos From Google+

Google is extracting photos from Google+ in a bid to attract more users, the report says, citing anonymous sources. The new service would still work with the social stream on Google+, although it may also be rebranded as part of the move.

If true, the report aligns with two clear trends:

Google has been moving to downplay Google+ as a brand and has begun separating some services from the social network. It recently dropped the Google+ requirement for Google Apps subscribers to use Hangouts, and the service was essentially a no-show at the Google I/O 2014 developers conference.

Large, multi-featured services are spinning off individual features into stand-alone apps. Both Facebook and Foursquare have recently separated aspects of their user experiences into simpler, more focused apps. Facebook, for example, will soon require mobile users to download a separate app for messages.

http://mashable.com/2014/08/01/google-separating-google-plus-photos/