Does A New Non-Google+ Sign In Button Confirm The Demise Of Google Plus?

On Friday, the head of Google+, Vic Gundotra, stepped down, starting rumors that Google+ was going to die. Well, Google confirmed that there were no such plans in place and that they would continue building a beautiful experience for users. Well, late yesterday a new button was spotted in the wild that may signify the death of Google+, for sign-ins, at least.

The Verge reported that some developers who have been implementing Google+ social logins began to see a new option for a button: “Sign in with Google.” Until this was spotted, the only way that a user could socially sign in was to use the Google+ social login that was dubbed the “Social Spam Free” login a bit over a year ago. Is this another sign toward the death of Google Plus?

The social sign-in with Google+ helped to further adoption of the social network and was the only way that users could login. Last September, Google+ began powering YouTube comments and as recently as December,  Google+ Sign-In was upgraded to encompass all Google account types, including Google Apps, into one unified Google+ Login. If this overall login change away from Google+ is real, this is telling. Google failed to comment on the button, giving The Verge the “We are always testing things” statement.

It seems that this small blue button may indicate far more about the future of Google, one without a + behind it. For more on this, head on over to the Verge.

About The Author

Greg Finn

Greg Finn is the Director of Marketing for Cypress North, a company that provides world-class social media and search marketing services and web & application development. He has been in the Internet marketing industry for 10+ years and specializes in Digital Marketing. You can also find Greg on Twitter (@gregfinn) or LinkedIn.