Turn Google+ on or off for users

If you have Drive Enterprise edition, upgrade to G Suite Enterprise to get this service.

As a G Suite administrator, you can control who in your organization uses Google+ from their managed account. Google+ is turned on by default for new G Suite customers, but administrators have the ability to control whether Google+ is on or off for users in a domain, an organizational unit, or group.

Users who have Google+ enabled can use it for collaboration at your company or school, and can also use Google+ for sharing beyond your domain.

Before you begin, carefully review the following requirements and considerations.

Before disabling Google+

Notes:

  • If you disable Google+, your users can no longer create new Google+ content. This includes content restricted to your organization.
  • If you disable Google+, your users can no longer sign in to Google+, but some Google+ data will still be visible unless users first delete their Google+ profile. For example, if the user’s Google+ profile is not deleted, public Google+ content created by that user can still be viewed. Users cannot create new content or modify existing content.

Tell your users about the coming changes

  • Let your users know when they'll no longer be able to sign in to Google+ using their Google accounts. When Google+ is turned off, users cannot create new Google+ posts, but they can still access existing content using the direct link. This includes content restricted to your organization. 
  • If Google+ is turned on again, all content can be accessed normally and users can create new posts. This includes public posts, posts restricted to your domain, and privately shared posts.
  • To permanently delete all visible Google+ data, the user or administrator must delete the user’s Google+ profile. Profile data will not be accessible even if the Google+ service is turned on again.
Note: Users can delete their Google+ profile only if Google+ is still enabled.  Administrators can always delete Google+ profiles, even if Google+ is turned off.
 

Data that is still visible after Google+ is turned off

Users can visit the downgrade page without deleting their profile to learn more about the data that is deleted or not deleted.

Before enabling Google+

Before you turn on Google+ for your organization, review the following information to understand the requirements and impact.

Check if Google+ is already turned on

Google+ is automatically turned on for new G Suite domains.

To check if Google+ is on or off for your existing domain:

  1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

    Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

  2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Appsand thenG Suiteand thenGoogle+.
  3. The status is displayed next to the G+ icon:
    • On for everyone
    • Off for everyone
    • On for some organizations

For example, Google+ may be turned on if all of the following applied when Google+ was released:

Use organizational units or access groups to turn on Google+ for specific users
To turn the service on or off for select groups of users, put their accounts in an organizational unit or add the users to an access group. 

Users must have a Google+ profile

Users must have a Google+ profile to use Google+.

Users must meet minimum age requirements

To join Google+, users must meet minimum age requirements. If people who don't meet age requirements try to join Google+, their entire account—including Gmail and other services—will be suspended. Learn more
Don't turn on Google+ for users who don't meet Google+ age requirements. Turn on Google+ only in organizational units where all users meet the requirements. If an underage user tries to sign up for Google+, his or her entire G Suite account—including Gmail and other services—is disabled.

Legal requirements

In using Google+, your organization is solely responsible for complying with all laws and regulations that might be applicable to the provision of Google+ to your organization's end users. This includes but is not limited to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

Turn Google+ on or off

Disable Google+ in the Admin console
  1. Review the considerations before disabling Google+, and inform your users of the changes.
    1. Tell users about the Google+ data that will be deleted, and what data will still available.
    2. Ask users to delete their Google+ profile (or delete it for them), if necessary.
  2. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

    Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

  3. From the Admin console Home page, go to Appsand thenG Suiteand thenGoogle+.
  4. At the top of the gray box, click Edit Service and choose Off for everyone to turn off the service for all users.
  5. Click Save.

Changes typically take effect in minutes, but can take up to 24 hours. For details, see How changes propagate to Google services.  

Enable Google+ in the Admin console

Before you begin: To turn the service on or off for certain users: Put their accounts in an organizational unit (to control access by department) or put them in an access group (to control access for users across or within departments).

  1. Review the considerations before enabling Google+.
  2. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

    Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

  3. From the Admin console Home page, go to Appsand thenG Suiteand thenGoogle+.

  4. At the top right of the gray box, click Edit Service Compose.

  5. To turn on or off a service only for users in an organizational unit:

    1. At the left, select the organizational unit.
    2. Select On or Off.
    3. To keep the service turned on or off even when the service is turned on or off for the parent organizational unit, click Override.
    4. If the organization's status is already Overridden, choose an option:
      • Inherit—Reverts to the same setting as its parent.
      • Save—Saves your new setting (even if the parent setting changes).

    Learn more about organizational structure.

  6. If chose to turn on Google+, check the box to acknowledge Google+ conditions of use. Then click Turn Google+ on.
  7. Make sure users' required services are also turned on.
  8. Get users started with Google+.

Changes typically take effect in minutes, but can take up to 24 hours. For details, see How changes propagate to Google services.  

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