Your Google+ profile will no longer be your YouTube identity.
So it looks like that Google+ rumor we heard last year had some weight to it after all. Today the company has announced that it is removing forced Google+ integration with YouTube, and all of its other products. “We want to formally retire the notion that a Google+ membership is required for anything at Google… other than using Google+ itself,” said Google’s vice president of streams, photos, and sharing Bradley Horowitz.
If you’re wondering what all the hubbub is about, a couple years ago Google forced all YouTube users (both creators and commentors) to create and integrate Google+ accounts in order to continue using the service. The reaction was mostly negative, due to the fact that A.) very few people use the Google+ social networking features and B.) Google+ accounts are searchable on Google, whereas anonymous YouTube accounts are not.
The change essentially means you’ll soon be able to use your standard Google account to share content, communicate with contacts, create a YouTube channel, and so on.
“We’ve also heard that it doesn’t make sense for your Google+ profile to be your identity in all the other Google products you use,” continued Hororwitz, confirming that the change won’t just be affecting YouTube, but all other Google products including Gmail and Google Drive.
If Google forced you to create an unwanted Google+ account just to use YouTube, the good news is that Horowitz also promised to “offer better options for managing and removing” Google+ accounts, meaning you’ll soon be able to wave goodbye to your account for good.
Do not, however, rush out and delete your Google+ account right now, as the company has warned that deleting it at the present time will also delete your YouTube channel… so just be patient for a little while.
Source: Google
