Google+ Profile No Longer Required to Create Google Account

Google has shelved the requirement to create a Google+ profile page while making a new Google account, a mandatory step since January 2012.

While creating a new Google account on the 'Create your Google account' page, users will be directed to a 'Create your public Google+ profile' page that now features a No Thanks button alongside the Create your profile option.

Website Marketing Land, which first spotted the change, says the move may tie-in with recent speculation that Google is trying to distance itself from Google+ in preparation to kill its three-year-old social network. The recent removal of the authorship markup from the Google+ service also hinted the end days of the platform.

However, Google is yet to make an official announcement for the huge step it has taken to further lessen the social platform's traction with users. Marketing Land also added that Google might be planning to continue making such changes in Google+ and also revamp the service in future as the firm recently took over Portal, an online poll company, which is said to improve the Google+ experience.

Last month, Google also updated its Google+ app for Android devices with the Chromecast feature to stream their social feed to a television, and the ability to edit Auto Awesome movies (only on select devices).

In a related note, last month's report suggests Google Photos may soon be separated from Google+. As per the report, the search engine giant is planning to give its Photos service a more independent role, and allow non-Google+ users to access the photo service. The move is said to bolster the popularity of the company's Google Photos service when independent of Google+.