Google+ Hangouts On Air is now moving to YouTube Live

Alphabet Inc. has announced that the popular Hangouts On Air feature on Google+ will be moving to YouTube Live. Any future broadcast will have to be scheduled in YouTube Live; furthermore, the events feature in Google Plus will  be shut down after September 12, 2016.

Alphabet says that previous Hangouts on Air videos will be available on YouTube and all event content on Google+ will be available in the Activity Log in read-only format.

Alphabet also made a suggestion for broadcasters in regards to the Question and Answer feature on Hangouts on Air which is that they should use Slides as they have the same feature and they are to be used together with broadcasts. Alphabet also gave the suggestion that questions should be collated before the time of broadcast via social media. Sadly, the Applause and Showcase features will not be moved to YouTube Live for now and Google has not given any alternatives yet.

Last year, Google also pulled out the Photos Feature from Google Plus which many feel is a signal that Google will soon pull the plug on Google+ as it has not been very successful. Previously, broadcasts recorded on Hangouts On Air were archived in YouTube and therefore this looks like a pretty smart move by Alphabet.