Bump

Export your data: Google-owned Bump and Flock are shutting down effective January 31

Back in September 2013, Google announced it was buying the popular mobile file-sharing apps Bump and Flock for an undisclosed sum. It was a typical acqui-hire (a talent-focused acquisition) so we were expecting the Internet giant would phase out these apps from the App Store and fold their functionality into Android.

Sure enough, the Bump team last night issued a notice informing users that the service will shut down effective January 31, 2014.

Customers are given a chance to export all their data ahead of the shutdown, including photos, video, contacts from both Bump and Flock and more…

Google buys mobile sharing app Bump

In the early days of the App Store, Bump was a popular way to exchange photos, links and other items between iPhone owners, augmented by the fact that iOS to date doesn’t support standard Bluetooth file sharing.

Six years later, we have AirDrop as the preferred method of beaming documents, images and just about anything between nearby iOS 7 device.

Be that as it may, if an Android-toting friend asks you politely to wirelessly transfer a photo you took with your iPhone – or a contact card or perhaps a location – over to his device, the cross-platform Bump app is still the best solution.

To all the fans of the software out there:  I hope you won’t mind that Google has now snapped up Bump Technologies and its namesake app for an undisclosed sum – the search monster’s first acquisition since it paid $1 billion for Waze back in June…