Google-Acquired File-Sharing Apps Bump And Flock To Shut Down By End Of January
January 1, 2014
Last September, Google acquired Bump, the startup behind the pioneering file-sharing app of the same name and the collaborative photo-sharing app Flock. Back then, Google intimated that it planned to keep both apps running until further notice. Well, here's a newly released notice from Bump: both its eponymous app and Flock are shutting down soon.
"We are now deeply focused on our new projects within Google," Bump CEO and cofounder David Lieb has announced, "and we’ve decided to discontinue Bump and Flock."
Bump and Flock are set to be shut down on January 31, 2014, whereupon both apps will be removed from the App Store and will cease operating.
All user data are also set to be deleted after that date. This means that you have a month to export your data from Bump and Flock for safekeeping. To do so, just open either app, follow the instructions for exporting your data, and wait for an email with a link to download all of your data, including photos, videos, and contacts, from Bump or Flock.
Released in March 2009, Bump presented the novelty of sharing files simply by bumping devices together. It was last updated in February 2013 with support for transferring files between iOS devices and computers. It most recently encountered tough competition in the form of Apple's AirDrop, which allows wireless transfer of files between iOS 7 devices.
Flock, which was released in July 2012, has also been facing competition from newer collaborative photo-sharing apps. Perhaps most notable among these is Cluster, which was updated earlier this month with a new feed layout and other enhancements.
Are you sad to see Bump and Flock go? Or have you been expecting to hear news of their exits following their acquisition by Google?
