Google Discontinues Bump and Flock, Users Urged to Backup Data
Google has announced that it will discontinue its file-sharing app, Bump, and its photo-merging app, Flock, by January 31, 2014. The team caring for these apps will be integrated into Google and take on other tasks, though specific details about their new roles remain unclear.
Bump, launched in 2008, allowed users to exchange files by simply tapping two smartphones together. Google acquired the app in September 2013. Flock, introduced in 2012, merged photos from different smartphones into one album with a similar tap-to-connect feature. Both apps will be removed from app stores and development will cease by the end of January.
Users of both apps are advised to export their data using the apps' export functions before the deadline. After January 31, 2014, Google will delete all data stored in Bump and Flock.
The discontinuation of Bump and Flock marks the end of an era for convenient file and photo sharing. While the future of the team behind these apps is uncertain, Google's integration of the team suggests they will continue to contribute to the tech giant's projects. Users are encouraged to backup their data before the apps' removal.
