“In the coming months, a Google Account will be all you’ll need to share content, communicate with contacts, create a YouTube channel and more, all across Google”. The first of these changes will be YouTube. No further details were revealed about that, but I assume we’ll hear more when the company officially severs its connection to Google+.
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Google took a first step towards a major shift in its social strategy Monday by separating YouTube from Google+.
Another key change to the YouTube comment system and Google+ integration is that comments made on one product will no longer be reflected on the other.
“People have told us that accessing all of their Google stuff with one account makes life a whole lot easier”, he wrote in a blog post this morning.
In narrowing Plus’ focus, Google says it will “move a few features that aren’t essential to an interest-based social experience out of Google+”.
Google says that the changes will be rolling out in stages. In the coming months, anyone who has a YouTube account connected to Google+ will be able to disconnect the two, but the company notes that if you try and do this now your YouTube account will be deleted, so don’t do it.
If you already have a Google+ account you will be given the option to remove it in the future.
Horowitz acknowledged as much Monday.
For example, many elements of Google+ Photos have been moved into the new Google Photos app, and we’re well underway putting location sharing into Hangouts and other apps, where it really belongs. However, while Google+ is clearly not as popular as Facebook, it did manage to attract a number of very engaged communities.
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Google+ will soon become a 100% optional service, which is music to many peoples’ ears who have griped about it being forced on everyone since launch.
