Apple has announced that it will be shutting down its My Photo Stream service in July, a feature that allows users to sync their photos between their Apple devices using iCloud.
The service, which was launched in 2011 along with iCloud, will stop accepting new uploads from June 26th, and will be completely discontinued on July 26th.
My Photo Stream is a service that automatically uploads the photos taken on one device to the iCloud, and then downloads them to other devices that are signed in with the same Apple ID.
The photos are only stored on the iCloud for 30 days, and do not count against the user’s iCloud storage limit. The service is useful for saving photos on a specific device without using up iCloud space.
Apple is directing users to opt for iCloud as an alternative to My Photo Stream. iCloud offers more features and benefits, such as storing photos and videos in their original quality, syncing edits across devices, creating shared albums, and accessing photos from any device via iCloud.com.
However, iCloud also has a storage limit of 5GB for free users, and requires a monthly subscription for more space.
Users who want to keep their photos that are currently on My Photo Stream are advised to save them on their device’s photo library, or on iCloud before July 26th. The original photos that were taken on the device will not be deleted by the shutdown of the service.
The decision to discontinue My Photo Stream may be seen as a move by Apple to simplify its photo services and encourage users to use iCloud more.
It may also be a way for Apple to generate more revenue from its iCloud subscriptions, which are part of its growing services segment. However, some users may be unhappy with losing a convenient and free way to sync their photos between devices.
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