What happened to the Photos app on iCloud.com?
Over the holidays, Apple quietly removed the Photos app from iCloud.com. The move, which was first spotted by 9to5Mac, suggests that Apple’s new Photos for OS X application is nearing competition. Or it may simply represent a software glitch.
Apple launched a beta version of Photos on iCloud.com in November, where it remained until late in December. It allowed users to upload, view, download, and delete images right from the Web.
The report notes:
Although this is only speculation, it seems like Apple’s servers experienced a problem in the last few days that caused the application to fail and has now removed the option to open the app completely until it is fixed.
Cupertino’s photo tools have been going through a somewhat rocky transition in recent months.
In June, the company announced that development on Aperture and iPhoto for Mac would end, and be replaced by Photos for OS X. Since then, we’ve heard nothing from Apple about the new software, which is supposed to launch sometime this year.
Photos for OS X is part of Apple’s new iCloud Photos service, which also extends to iOS and Apple TV. Unlike Photo Stream, which it will eventually replace, iCloud Photos are stored in one centralized location, thereby limiting the amount of local storage that is necessary.
We’ll continue to follow this story and let you know when Photos for iCloud.com is restored.
In the meantime, see: Our Apple wish list for 2015 includes new iPods, Photos for Mac and another surprise.