Finally. Google is listening. When the search giant forced us to connect a Google+ profile to a YouTube channel, things got difficult. In fact, one client’s YouTube channel is still tied to an employee’s Google+ account instead of the rightful owner, despite several attempts to disconnect it from the improper account.
While Google’s move to tie everything together was a good concept for individuals, forcing business owners to connect it all to personal profiles caused plenty of hiccups. I’m still having difficulty managing certain features because I had to disconnect my main email address from my personal profile when I moved over to Google Apps for business for work-related reasons. In other words, many business people who use Google+ and Google services have more than one account, or they have a single account that’s so disorganized it’s counterproductive.
Google announced this week it will disconnect Google+ from YouTube, which means your channel can once again be managed properly, and people won’t need a Google+ profile to share or comment on videos. More services are to follow.
…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… As always, your underlying Google Account won’t be searchable or followable, unlike public Google+ profiles.
– Bradley Horowitz, VP of Streams, Photos, and Sharing
If you’ve been struggling managing Google features because of a connected Google+ profile, don’t take any action yet. Wait for official instructions from Google after the change is made. For now, killing out a Google+ profile will still erase the YouTube channel and other services tied to the account.
You can also subscribe to my mailing list, and I’ll be sure to notify you when Google releases the update.