I'm ready to make the jump... some last minute questions regarding Google+ integration.

[beyondthesmile]

Thanks for your patience with all my newbie questions recently. I am ready to make the jump from my iPhone to an S5!

I have one more question though, regarding Google+.

I am not a Google+ user and don't like that it's so easy to inadvertently create a Google+ account, nor that it's so largely integrated into so many of Google's services now. So far it hasn't been a huge problem - I can use Gmail and Google Drive without needing a G+ account and without being prompted to create one.

I've read that when using the S5 I may run into instances where I'll be prompted to create a Google+ account. Is this true? Is it avoidable?

I've also read that if I want to email a picture to someone I'll be required to also upload it to Google+.

My main questions are;

1) How can I avoid creating a Google+ account?
2) More importantly - how can I ensure that nothing I do on my phone is uploaded to Google+ without my realizing?
3) If I take a screenshot of my awesome new S5 and want to send it to a friend by email.... how do I do this? Will I be asked/prompted/required to also upload to Google+?
4) If there are any precautions you can share (i.e.: "don't use X or upload to Y if you don't want to use Google+) it would be most appreciated!

Thanks all

This forum has been so helpful...you are bringing me over to the darkside. Hopefully next week i'll be sharing screenshots in that "share your screenshot" thread

 

[Closingracer]

By making a google account you have a G+ account ... TBH if you don't want to use it then just avoid it... I have 2 G+ accounts and don't use either. One account is my main gmail account and 1 for my youtube account

 

[fanaticalism]

G+ is not a big deal. It's just a profile and none of your info is shared unless you allow it to. If there is an app that you want to sign in using your gmail it will use your G+ login. All you need to do is click on the options and select private. I personally only use it for my own circles which is my family and a few friends, Its not bad as you can discover content that your circles like and allow you to try out something you wouldn't have otherwise.

I use Google Keep and Photos for backing up and if you need game data backup you can use Helium.

 

[bespinct]

1 - Say no every time it asks you.
2 - If you don't have an account, items won't be uploaded to Google+. However, even if you have a Google+ account, things are not automatically uploaded unless you explicitly state that they should be uploaded. Or at least that has been my experience.
3 - You email the screenshot to a friend the same way you do on an iPhone....it's just few steps. Go to the picture, click share, choose Mail or GMail or Text or whatever.
4 - The only thing I'm not sure about is getting apps from the Play Store. Google+ is how you leave comments. I'm a Google+ user, so I can't test for you.

I'm not sure about the fear of creating a Google+ account though. Google has most of what they need to know from you just by having a GMail account. If you aren't active in Google+, it's almost like not having the account at all.

 

[beyondthesmile]

1 - Say no every time it asks you.
2 - If you don't have an account, items won't be uploaded to Google+. However, even if you have a Google+ account, things are not automatically uploaded unless you explicitly state that they should be uploaded. Or at least that has been my experience.
3 - You email the screenshot to a friend the same way you do on an iPhone....it's just few steps. Go to the picture, click share, choose Mail or GMail or Text or whatever.
4 - The only thing I'm not sure about is getting apps from the Play Store. Google+ is how you leave comments. I'm a Google+ user, so I can't test for you.

I'm not sure about the fear of creating a Google+ account though. Google has most of what they need to know from you just by having a GMail account. If you aren't active in Google+, it's almost like not having the account at all.

Thanks! I'd read somewhere online that you can't even email a photo without having to first upload it to google+. It's not so much a fear of Google+. I'm not concerned about them having information about me. As you said, Google gets everything they want from me using gmail, Chrome, etc. I think it's just that I don't want another social media profile, and I wouldnt' want to inadvertently be posting things publicly (doh. I almost typed pubicly. That would have changed the context a bit).

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By making a google account you have a G+ account ... TBH if you don't want to use it then just avoid it... I have 2 G+ accounts and don't use either. One account is my main gmail account and 1 for my youtube account

Thanks! When I go to my gmail or My Account, for example, there is an option to create a Google+ account, but as far as I know I don't have one yet...? Unless I am mistaken...

 

[fanaticalism]

Thanks! I'd read somewhere online that you can't even email a photo without having to first upload it to google+. It's not so much a fear of Google+. I'm not concerned about them having information about me. As you said, Google gets everything they want from me using gmail, Chrome, etc. I think it's just that I don't want another social media profile, and I wouldnt' want to inadvertently be posting things publicly (doh. I almost typed pubicly. That would have changed the context a bit).

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Thanks! When I go to my gmail or My Account, for example, there is an option to create a Google+ account, but as far as I know I don't have one yet...? Unless I am mistaken...

That's not true.

 

[beyondthesmile]

G+ is not a big deal. It's just a profile and none of your info is shared unless you allow it to. If there is an app that you want to sign in using your gmail it will use your G+ login. All you need to do is click on the options and select private. I personally only use it for my own circles which is my family and a few friends, Its not bad as you can discover content that your circles like and allow you to try out something you wouldn't have otherwise.

I use Google Keep and Photos for backing up and if you need game data backup you can use Helium.

Thanks! I don't use a lot of FB-type social media (I don't use FB either), and don't want to inadvertently create an account that things are posting to without my realizing. LOL.

 

[bespinct]

Thanks! I'd read somewhere online that you can't even email a photo without having to first upload it to google+. It's not so much a fear of Google+. I'm not concerned about them having information about me. As you said, Google gets everything they want from me using gmail, Chrome, etc. I think it's just that I don't want another social media profile, and I wouldnt' want to inadvertently be posting things publicly (doh. I almost typed pubicly. That would have changed the context a bit).

Pubicly would definitely be bad! I'm not sure you can post things inadvertently. When you put comments on sites that use Google+ profiles, they do not become public posts. Also, when you post in Google+, you have to indicate which circles get to see the post. Even uploading is configurable. I don't share any of the photos that I backup to Google+, but they all go there.

 

[beyondthesmile]

That's not true.

Okay. Maybe they were referring to sending from a specific app? So essentially, if I go to email a photo to someone... I just email the photo. No prompts to do anything else? Sorry for all the newbie questions. iOS doesn't present many options so...while I love tinkering with gadgets I AM a little overwhelmed since it's been a while since I've used anything but an iPhone.

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Pubicly would definitely be bad! I'm not sure you can post things inadvertently. When you put comments on sites that use Google+ profiles, they do not become public posts. Also, when you post in Google+, you have to indicate which circles get to see the post. Even uploading is configurable. I don't share any of the photos that I backup to Google+, but they all go there.

Thanks so much. I realize these seem like silly questions. Is backing up to Google+ automatic? Maybe i am also misunderstanding exactly how Google+ works, since I tend to view it as social media.

 

[fanaticalism]

Okay. Maybe they were referring to sending from a specific app? So essentially, if I go to email a photo to someone... I just email the photo. No prompts to do anything else? Sorry for all the newbie questions. iOS doesn't present many options so...while I love tinkering with gadgets I AM a little overwhelmed since it's been a while since I've used anything but an iPhone.

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Thanks so much. I realize these seem like silly questions. Is backing up to Google+ automatic? Maybe i am also misunderstanding exactly how Google+ works, since I tend to view it as social media.

Nope that's it.

You can decide when backup occurs in the settings but you must enable the backup at first by going into the app labeled "photos". After that, you click the three little dots and choose the backup option such as:

Over data of wifi
Wifi only
When charging only

 

[williams448]

Just don't ever open the G+ app. But even if you do set it up, you dictate what goes on there. When emailing you do not need G+ integration. However, if you are going to use the Google ecosystem, I highly recommend backing up your photos to G+. I've used other apps to back up photos, but G+ for some reason works the best when sharing or viewing photos on other devices.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[beyondthesmile]

Nope that's it.

You can decide when backup occurs in the settings but you must enable the backup at first by going into the app labeled "photos". After that, you click the three little dots and choose the backup option such as:

Over data of wifi
Wifi only
When charging only

Ah, so given that you have to enable backup.... you can technically choose not to back up photos?

 

[beyondthesmile]

I should add, I am one of those weird people who chooses NOT to sync things between devices. Right now I have an iPhone, iPad, and Macbook Pro. Email/calendar/contacts sync is a must for me and I do this over MS Exchange (which I'm told will work the same way on my Android as on my iPhone). In fact, the first time I switched from Blackberry the reason I didn't go Android was because at the time it didn't support MS Exchange and it is a must for me (it's my primary email and I use it extensively for email/calendar/contacts across devices).

But, I don't make use of iCloud and just manually transfer the photos I want to transfer to my computer either via USB or dropbox. I don't sync any music or media to the iPad (again for the occasional thing, like an ebook, I use dropbox).

One last silly question! I know on my Apple devices, when I open, say, an ebook (i.e.: .epub) that I've emailed to myself or put in dropbox something will pop up asking me what program I want to open it to. Is this the case on Android as well?

 

[bespinct]

Yup, for items that can be opened in more the one installed app, you will be prompted with the a request for which app to use. You then choose once, or always, which can be reconfigured in the future.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[beyondthesmile]

Thank you everyone! I really appreciate the patience and helpful responses.