Today Google added a new feature to the Google+ platform: application sign-in. Android and web users can now sign in to OpenTable with Google, and bring along their Google+ info for an upgraded experience. It’s simple, it’s secure, and it prohibits social spam. And, the folks at Google+ are just getting started.
1. Simplicity and security come first
If you sign in to Gmail, YouTube, or any other Google service, you can now use your existing credentials to sign in to apps outside of Google, including OpenTable. Just review the Google+ permissions screen (outlining the data you’re sharing with the app, and the people who can see your activity), and you’re all set. Google+ Sign-In also comes with the protections and safeguards you’ve come to expect from your Google account (like 2-step verification), so you can always sign in with confidence.Managing your signed-in apps is easy too: visit plus.google.com/apps at any time, or open the new Google Settings app on Android.
2. Desktop and mobile are better together
Many developers offer web and mobile versions of their app, yet setting things up across a browser, phone and tablet is still a major hassle. Starting today, when you sign in to a website with Google, you can install its mobile app on your Android device with a single click.3. Sharing is selective; spraying is just spam
Sometimes you want to share something with the world (like a high score), but other times you want to keep things to yourself (like fitness goals). With Google+ Sign-In and circles you decide who to share with, if at all. In addition: Google+ doesn’t let apps spray “frictionless” updates all over the stream, so app activity will only appear when it’s relevant (like when you’re actually looking for it).4. Sharing is for doing, not just viewing
Google+ Sign-In helps OpenTable make it easy for diners to share restaurant picks and menus with their friends. OpenTable users can sign in with Google on Android or the web. When diners discover an appealing menu, they can easily share it to Google+ so friends can take a look. The post on Google+ deep-links directly to the menu in the OpenTable Android app, mobile web or website, so that friends can click through to see for themselves and book their own reservations.
You can learn more by visiting http://googleplusplatform.blogspot.com/2013/02/google-plus-sign-in.html.
I don’t WANT to share my Google+ or Facebook information with you. I want to sign in using my OpenTable account. I tried to do that just now, and when I hit Enter, the Google sign-in process prompts me to allow interaction with my friends. As I said, I don’t want that. I want to sign in with OpenTable, and not do any sharey-sharey stuff. Pressing the Sign-in button does nothing. Please fix this.