Google is making it possible to merge profiles, with the emphasis being on the Google+ one

Jun 30, 2012 13:11 GMT  ·  By

One year later, Google is continuing to push Google+ into its other products. YouTube has historically enjoyed quite a lot of independence. But it too can't escape the clutches of Google+. If you're an avid or just cursory user of any of the two products, rejoice, you can now use your Google+ name for your YouTube profile.

Essentially, like it happened to Blogger already, users will be able switch their native YouTube profiles with their Google+ ones.

"Starting today we’re giving you the ability to change how you appear on YouTube, with the option to use your Google+ profile on your YouTube channel," YouTube said.

"One Google-wide identity was something that proved popular with new YouTube users when we began offering it in March, so we are now extending it to existing users," it explained.

"This is your identity, so you’re in the driver’s seat. First off, your name. If you are currently YouTube user joeysam87, you can now appear as Joey Samson, the full name from your Google+ profile (with an actual space in the middle!), along with any photo you uploaded," it said.

In practice, your two profiles will be merged, though your Google+ profile is the one that's getting all the attention, your name and profile will replace the YouTube ones.

One of the big hurdles in getting people to link up their profiles is that people don't want to link up their profiles, they don't want their YouTube identity to be associated with their new Google+ one. In particular, they may not want specific things from YouTube showing up in Google+.

Luckily, Google delivers on this front, before you can merge the profiles, you have the chance to review any video you published, and make them private, as well as your comments and playlists and anything else you may have done on the site.

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You can merge your Google+ and YouTube profiles
You can review past activty before the merger
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