It’s cloud storage for photos - hardly a category defining product comparable to search, maps, docs, or android - and it absolutely comes with Android.

How many iPhone users skip apple photos and install google photos like they do with maps?

It's far more than that cloud storage for photos. It might come with Android but so does YouTube and Search, that doesn't make them part of Android. It sounds like you don't use it so maybe you shouldn't have such a strong opinion about it.

>How many iPhone users skip apple photos and install google photos like they do with maps?

Given it had over 1B active users back in 2019, my bet would be on "a lot".

No I have it installed here as I used to own an Android phone. Maybe you should consider being quiet about Google Photos yourself since, three comments in, you can’t provide any details about why this little regarded photo app is so remarkable?

> Given it had over 1B active users back in 2019, my bet would be on "a lot".

Those are mostly Android users, or ex-Android users as discussed. You are the first human being I have ever met that has specifically praised Google photos over the competition and you can't tell me why, so I'm not inclined to change my mind about that.

> YouTube and Search, that doesn't make them part of Android.

That's true. But people specifically choose YouTube (acquired 2006) and Search (launched 1997) over competitors, as discussed. I'd be surprised if Settings or the Android lock screen didn't have a billion users. That doesn't make them significant.

So yes: Google haven’t released a major product in fifteen years.