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We’ve seen Google make small steps towards detaching Hangouts from Google+, a move welcomed by just about everyone. But it seems that ain’t nothing compared to what they could be planning for emerging markets: a messaging client that doesn’t even require a Google account.
This is exactly what the Economic Times is reporting, with sources claiming Google has already begun testing in parts of India and could launch as early as 2015. This Google messenger — still in its early stages of development — is Google’s way of recouping users lost to rival services such as Whatsapp, Viber, and Line.
India is poised to becoming the world’s 2nd largest smartphone market just under China with Android One already looking to take the sub-continent by storm. A messaging service everyone can and will actually want to use by forgoing a Google login could be their next big strategy.
You may remember reports of Google looking to acquire Whatsapp (whom later accepted Facebook’s offer of $19 billion). It’s clear Google takes messaging very seriously, but without a Google account to siphon data from its users, it’s not entirely clear why.
They may not be able to tie it to the Google account, but I can guarantee they’ll have you profiled in some way. Google doesn’t play the way we want it to.
No, Google doesn’t play the way YOU want it too. Personally, I’m fine with the current setup.
I have to draw the line somewhere for privacy standards. Give an inch, take a mile.
And my post is in regards to the final point
“It’s clear Google takes messaging very seriously, but without a Google account to siphon data from its users, it’s not entirely clear why.”
That’s what you want or you’re just fine with it? I use 7 Google accounts, most are not mine, and I have to keep them on my phone or tablet, and its a pain with Hangouts and Google+ because some of those accounts I want to use for conferencing and some I don’t want to use for chat at all but I’m forced to use Hangouts and Google+, when the Google Talk app worked much better for keeping things separate.
i gotta agree with this. Even though i dont feel cynical about it at all. Profiling is after all how google makes money. Just that theyve been very in your faced about this whole thing with g+ acct and turning ppl off. they could go the roundabout way of doing things and achieve the same result. theyre happy and most ppl are happy.
Google plays just fine by me… have you ever heard the expression “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”? People need to lose this entitled attitude that they have a birthright to use a billion dollar infrastructure and a ton of free services, while giving nothing in return. If you don’t like the terms, don’t use the services.
I’m quite content telling Google which ads are most relevant to me in exchange for all this cool stuff. Advertisers have been doing it for years, Google is actually giving you something in exchange.
So we should give up all our freedoms for the opportunity of living with the cutting edge advances? The only way to avoid that is to go live in a remote area cut off from everything, otherwise I’d gladly pay for those services. You need to stop frolicking in the Google fields thinking that they only want to serve you ads.
All our freedoms..?
Someone is living with only first world problems.
Yeah because the third world is growing with your mindset so it’s too late for them.
lol. I’ll take my chances. You stock up on tin foil. I’ve heard all this before about Microsoft and IBM before them.
I’m taking my chances as well as there’s no viable other option for OS choice. But you can’t blindly follow as you do have to see the faults in the major company. We here in the States may not care about their actions but Europe sees it differently. And considering how deep in their ecosystem I am, there’s no avoiding it now.
I have come to really like hangouts especially now with the voice integration i would be sad to see it go
I’d be happy with an app like viber coming from Google, messages, calls and video calls plus Google touch.
You’d still need some sort of account. It’s possible it would be a standalone database separate from gmail, google+, etc., but it still needs to exist.
I thought that was the whole point of this new onslaught of messaging apps. The app reads the devices phone number and that *is* the account, so you don’t have to create any sort of account. Basically text messaging for people who are still paying per text (and with additional features not available in SMS).
It may be a gateway service to lure people into other google services.
Perhaps they’re planning to take G+ in a very different direction, or maybe slowly phase it out altogether. Seems like they’re also doing this as a response to the recent concerns over privacy in the past year.
i’ve had 1 and half million views on my G+ profile and only ever had 2 hangout messages. G+ doesn’t need Hangouts. Hangouts is my only message appliction IM sms and calls, why wouldn’t google turn it into usable non sign in app for sms and network calls
Plot twist…it costs $1.99
my Aunty Ella recently got an awesome Audi allroad Wagon just by some part-time working online at home.see this site WORK ANYTIME
make hangouts like imessage and im happy…imessage is the only thing im jealous about coming from ios…only bc i wanna be able to see these damn videos my stupid iphone sheep friends send in full quality and not half assed quality…why cant hangouts use data without costing data if apple can do it google can do it
iMessage uses your data plan, I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing magical about how it works. If you really want good group messaging, just use WhatsApp like most people.
Aren’t there already lots of messaging apps for Android that don’t require a Google log-in? What will be special about this one?
Binfer messaging app is secure and private. There is no charge to it. The site is http://www.binfer.com
Well, you need an account to download android apps, so who cares about this