No Facebook and Flickr integration in Windows 8.1 Photos app

Much to the disappointment of its users, software giant Microsoft seems to have done away with Facebook and Flickr integration on the Photos app in Windows 8.1. That said the app on the new platform does come with some new editing features.

The Photos app used to let users connect their Microsoft account to services like Facebook and Flickr to get photos from those services on your system. It allows seamless integration with Windows Phone as well, thanks to SkyDrive. Questions about the missing features on the Photos app in Windows 8.1 started pouring in on Microsoft’s forums late last month. User complaints ranged from saying that the app no longer shows images from Facebook, Flickr and SkyDrive, to it not showing images from other computers or networks.

No Facebook, Flickr integration in Photos app on Windows 8.1

In response to the lengthy chain of comments, one Microsoft spokesperson said, “In Windows 8, we wanted to provide a way for folks to view their photos on other services knowing there would be few (if any) apps in the store at launch that would do so. Now there are many apps in the store that offer ways to view photos on other services and soon there will even be a Facebook app from Facebook. We’re confident Facebook will offer great ways to view and engage socially with photos on Facebook. We welcome Flickr to do the same.”

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He added that the app continues to allow users to “socially engage with your friends and even your own photos.”

The Windows 8.1 release preview was announced on June 26 and it is set to be a free update for existing Windows 8 users. What’s new in Windows 8.1? Get the answer here.