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January 20, 2012

New Google Accounts Require Gmail and Google+

If you try to create a Google account from Google's homepage, you'll notice that Google redesigned the page, but that's not all. You'll now have to create a Gmail account, a Google Profile and you'll automatically join Google+.

Until now, creating a Google account was quite simple. You could either use an existing email address or create a Gmail account. The redesigned form includes new fields: name, gender (required for Google+) and mobile phone number (not required).



"Your Google Account is more than just Search. Talk, chat, share, schedule, store, organize, collaborate, discover and create. Use Google products from Gmail to Google+ to YouTube, view your search history, all with one username and password, all backed up all the time and easy to find at (you guessed it) Google.com," informs the page.

You can still delete your Google profile, the Google+ content and also your Gmail account.

New users no longer have to manually create a profile and join Google+, while Google found another way to increase the number of Google+ users (currently at 90 million) and the number of Gmail users (currently at 350 million). I've always wondered why Google never offered the option to create a Gmail account when you sign up for a Google account and now that's the only way to create a Google account.

Update: You can still use the old form if you know the URL or if you click "Sign up for a new Google Account" in Google Calendar, Blogger and probably a few other Google products.



Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Groups use a different page that lets you sign up using a Gmail address or a different email account. Just click "use a different email" and you'll see the old form.


Update 2. A Google spokesperson sent the following statement: "We're working to develop a consistent sign-up flow across our different products as part of our efforts to create an intuitive, beautifully simple, Google-wide user experience. Making it quick and easy to create a Google Account and a Google profile enables new users to take advantage of everything Google can offer."

{ Thanks, Herin. }

85 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. It's not wave its wallet

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    Replies
    1. Oh, oops. They're almost identical! http://goo.gl/i2bgR

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  3. And what about people who are younger than 18?

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    Replies
    1. I believe that people aged 13 and older can now sign-up.

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    2. Really? Can anyone confirm that?

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    3. Still no Google+ for us. I can't sign in yet.

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    4. Where are you from?
      Try using TOR to sign up if your country is blocked, once you have an account you should be able to access the service without having to run TOR again.

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    5. I am uncertain about this suggestion. Could the person running the Tor exit node sniff the login information?

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    6. Not with HTTPS which google uses AFAIK

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    7. I think the problem is that if you need to sign up for Google+ when you create a Google account, and Google+ requires you to be 18+...then under-18's can't sign up for a Google account! :o (Wait, let me test that)

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  4. Hmm, Google is gradually unveiling its plan of polling all its muscles to outwit the competition. It's clear that G+ has more hidden purpose that we saw when it launched. It's not just a social media site as many thought of it. Be ready for more surprises.

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    1. And I am profoundly grateful they are. I do not see any other way to overcome the network effects of Facebook.

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    2. It was not hidden, me and a lot other people guest that this was Google plan for Google+ when it first launch.

      Google admitted this was there plans months ago.

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    3. Google is a democrat party political ally and tool. Don't be too naive about it wanting to be the next Facebook. The founders are closely allied with the democrats. Very close. Every Google search you make is money in the pocket of the democrat party. If you're a liberal democrat, that's fine. If not, you should think.

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    4. I wish that the Democrats in the Senate agreed with you. Instead we get a group dominated by Democrats introducing PIPA.

      But yes, the influence of money on politics is concerning.

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  5. Another way to increase google+ users. This is child SOPA by google. Then they are kicking facebook, twitter from top results in searches and giving more power to their useless google+ service.
    Removed sharing from google reader and added google+
    added google+ to blogspot
    added google+ to searches as author profile with posts
    added google+ to gmail
    blah blah, so that everyone can force join google+

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    1. "This is child SOPA by google."

      Please expand on that. How is transitioning to a communication system in which email and social networks are combined, a child of SOPA? Users are naturally using social networks for email like communication; I see this is a reflection of the fact that Google understands the changing norms of digital communication.

      What you should question, however, is the real names policy. Technically, I think anonymity is profoundly challenging in the Internet age. Tor and bitcoin do not provide the anonymity that people think they do. But, Google could provide pseudonymity.

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    2. Therein lies the rub. Until (unless) Google provides pseudonymity, those who wish pseudonymity will no longer be able to use Gmail.

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    3. I'm pretty sure that the GMail address you can use isn't your real name. Therefore, GMail still supports pseudonymity.

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    4. Complaining that signing up for Google services forces you to sign up for G+ is like complaining that buying a smart phone forces you to own a camera.

      Those that think Google is in a feature battle with Facebook are missing big picture as discussed here: https://plus.google.com/u/1/114613911236813249666/posts/A9k2oNF5Vsw

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  6. If you go to Google Docs and choose Sign up for a new Google Account you don't have to sign up for a gmail, you can still use whatever email you want, as it was before.

    Although this probably wont last long.

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  7. Try changing SignUp to SignUpWidget ;) (that is what YouTube uses now, but it should work on all). They really don't kick non-gmail accounts out, they just make it a bit more supervisable... :)

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  8. Great news, now alot of time will be saved.

    Google making the web smart & easy day by day :-)

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  9. Hello Romania!
    On a more serious note, this is going to create a whole lot of "inactive" google+ accounts, and that's not smart...

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    1. Actually, it is very smart for three reasons:

      (1) A key to developing a social network is people discovery. If the case is that they Google capture individuals's identities then that will enable people discovery even if those users do not use the social network aspect of Google+.

      (2) Many GMail accounts are setup for a variety of purposes, but not always for personal communication. By tying the GMail accounts to Google+ they are able to unify the information they have about the holders of that GMail accounts, which improves security in the long run.

      (3) Google will be able increase their Google+ numbers in a way that will encourage marketers and other websites to use their social network. Because most users are unverified and their engagement with Google+ unknown, marketers will be uncertain whether or not those numbers are correct but they will have to bet that they are.

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    2. This post covers this well: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114613911236813249666/posts/A9k2oNF5Vsw

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  10. This is a bit strange - I mean, it's quite logical to have multiple google accounts. For example, multiple e-mail addresses and separate not-personal google accounts used for running adsense for each website. However, linking them all to a single google+ account is not possible, and having multiple google+ accounts is ridiculous as well..

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  11. This is not good why wold i want to have a google + profile for all my gmail account

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  12. They should pay someone to make it illegal to not use Google+. That would totally stick it to FB and Twitter!

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    Replies
    1. What if FaceBook,Twitter, and Google were all one corporation?

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  13. Great news, now alot of time will be saved.

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  14. Hey Goggle, (sigh) dont start with the facebook crap already. I never joined them because of stupid shit like this and I dont want to have to quit you for the same reason

    What happened to do no evil?

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    1. I agree with you that Facebook's practices are evil. But I would love to understand why tying Google+ to GMail is evil. I do not believe that you are required to have an email address that is your real name and anonymity in at this stage of Internet use is development, tragically, technically difficult.

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    2. Sorry that final sentence didn't scan, but I hope you get my meaning.

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    3. Stop acting like spoiled brats. Why does eveyone act like Google is some charity that you can pushover? Google is a corporation, for one thing, and the unification of the disorganized various Google products through Google+ is welcoming, for another. Besides, does anyone bitch when one has to signup for an Apple ID to use iDevices? Or that Facebook automatically makes an @facebook.com email address when one signs up?

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    4. Yes.
      That is the precise reason for not owning any apple devices or having any ixxx accounts or installing any apple software or having a Facebook account.

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    5. @Ric (Jan 20 8:34), that sums it up perfectly. Should turn it into a bumper sticker - "Google - Don't start with the FB crap!"... :-)

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  15. "With Google+ we have more growth than Facebook!"

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  16. Google, you really want people to stop using your services don't you?
    Stick with what you did to make you great don't start copying FB. They suck and now so do you.

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  17. Lets hope this disease does not spread to existing accounts. I really do not want to switch my email provider... but I certainly will if it does.

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  18. Anything to get those Google+ numbers up to impress other nerds.

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  19. Rofl, I don't get the big deal here. These are defaults people are crying about! You can still easily remove all social parts of your Google account with like 2 clicks. A Google+ account is not, and likely never will be, a required part of a Google account (simply because of the multiple account issue; most Googlers have at least 2 Google Accounts).

    It's also not like Google is misleading people throughout the signup process. It's very clear that you're not just signing up for email or search.

    If you don't want to use Google+, don't use it. Making a profile (even if you don't delete it afterwards) doesn't force you to use it.

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    Replies
    1. Exactly. There are opt-outs. They are simply streamlines and integrating their products but still providing easy methods of removing the bundled features.

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    2. Spoken just like a computer turd > Not every one has your expertise or skill . When it works there is no need to change ever. Every thing is going along fine and up jumps change . To hell with that ,all I want to do is send and receive my mail all the other stuff is just in the way . All these international symbol crap is just garbage .

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  20. THIS IS FALSE. Please confirm your info, i made an account in Gmail (the same formulary of the picture) and don't made the Google+ account. Just the Gmail. Confirm the info.

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    1. I've checked before posting. Step 2 creates a Google profile and adds your account to Google+. After creating the account, go to plus.google.com (or click +YourName at the top of the page) and you'll see a welcome screen that suggests some contacts and celebrities you may want to add to your circles.

      Actually, if you take a look at the screenshot for "step 2", there's a section about Google+, who is "more than just a site to visit".

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  21. Really scary, forced personal data recollection in USA data centers. Now all data mining Google does associated to real people.

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  22. I have nothing to say, and don't care about what you have to say, so social sites don't interest me.

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  23. They didn't a learn a damn thing after trying to opt us all in with "BUZZ"

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  24. As google couldnt get enough users into g+, now they do this and obligue people, FB is optional, people sign up because they want to.

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    1. Haha, a Google-account is also optional :)
      They make one because they want too, so the reason you give is not right...

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    2. You miss the point. People sign up to Gmail for an email account, not a social network. People sign up to Facebook for a social network.

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  25. Even the process to delete an account is confusing. http://www.technipages.com/how-to-delete-google-plus-account.html

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  26. All goes downhill, people get bullied and unrightfuly fired from their Datacenters and other engineering positions cause of failed management, people were year underpaid and needed state welfare, they purposely by accident scanned all wireless data, they put your house in pictures on the internet and want to link it to all other relevant data and now they want to force you to make their service better at your expense.... Google was good when it started. All went to shit just before they went into China.... Support something worse then microsoft (which they call "the beast"), JOIN GOOGLE! Please..... Google...... You are just another corporation driven on modern slavery and propaganda!

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    Replies
    1. Google>>Facebook

      But yes, Google is huge now.

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  27. Haha! My account is without Gmail and G+
    I don't need that anymore. I have Twitter and Hotmail, and that's enough.

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  28. Quit requiring gender. WTF???

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  29. This is just for padding G+ user numbers. Absolute misrepresentation of data. Not cool Google, not cool at all.

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  30. nice flag you got there :)

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  31. This is not really surprising, but it's one thing getting these accounts created/linked up automatically. Getting people to make use of the account is something else. I just dont 'get' G+ yet

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  32. Why I can't use ONLY nickname in my G+? Hey Google you have my full name, but I don't want show it on public.

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  33. not a move that would be appreciated by the google users but surely a smart move by google to stretch upon their dieing G+!!

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  34. This is probably the right time to actually compete with Google Search, a lot of potential there. Search results of the Google Search engine are going downhill for quite some time now. Time to shake up the monopolist.

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  35. I am really appreciating you for sharing the details about this latest update. Keep updating.

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  36. I think it's very risky is doing what Google search results varying according to the +1 you have a specific page. While this only works if you are logged in with your user of Google, being forced to use your new social network and all that that entails for successful searches in your browser

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  37. don't put up pages I can't resize on my fucking iPad. my eyes aren't what they used to be '!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  38. Google boxes us into a corner in trying to deal with different marketing segments. A marketer needs separate youtube channels... but this requires separate google accounts, which now require g+ accounts... a violation of TOS. I mean simple people like me want to be compliant but there doesn't seem to be a way to do it 100% on the up and up.

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  39. I cant upload picture to my blog....i really dont know why....can anyone help me please....

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  40. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  41. Why I can't use ONLY nickname in my G+? Hey Google you have my full name, but I don't want show it on public.

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  42. However, today, the number of users stands up to 425 million. But the data is still not confirmed by a third party and is completely based on its internal data. Gmail Support Service

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  43. hello actually i want help here, the new version of gmail is not working in my laptop due to some problem and i want basic HTML version of gmail bt i not know about plz help me ang guide me

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