Google Brand Accounts will no longer be able to be owned or managed by Business Groups as of August 1.
Google Business Profiles sent a notification email about this change in April, with the subject line "Upcoming changes to your Brand Accounts":
Beginning August 1, 2022, Business Groups will no longer be able to own or manage Brand Accounts.
You're currently an owner or manager of at least one Brand Account that's connected to a Business Group. Anyone who has access to your Brand Accounts via a Business Group will be able to opt in and keep access. If they opt in, they'll be addedd as a direct owner or manager beginning July 20, 2022. If they don't opt in, they'll lose access to the Brand Account.
If a Brand Account has no owner left, all managers will lose access to it beginning August 1, 2022. If you own or manage a Brand Account from a Business Group, you'll receive another email with instructions on how to opt in to keep access to your account.
This upcoming change doesn't affect Business Profiles.
If you are a member of a Business Group that is an Owner or Manager of a Brand Account with a YouTube channel, be sure to opt in before July 22 so that you do not lose access to that YouTube channel.
Why would a Business Group be managing a Brand Account?
A Business Group (formerly "Location Group" and before that "Business Account") allows multiple Google users to manage a Google Business Profile location.
Brand Accounts started as Google+ Pages, and may have been created along with a new YouTube channel or (more relevant in this case) a new local business listing.
In October 2017, new Google My Business profiles stopped being created on a Brand Account. Eventually business listings on Google were separated from Brand Accounts entirely.
So that brings us to today. Brand Accounts are currently only officially used for YouTube channels, although you should still be able to access Google Photos on desktop as a Brand Account.
What will happen to the Brand Account managed by a Business Group?
To retain access as a Brand Account owner or manager, you must opt in as an individual by July 20, 2022. You can do that at myaccount.google.com/brandaccounts/businessgroupremoval .
Any Business Group member who does not opt in will lose access to the Brand Account. That means they will also lose access to any YouTube channel on the Brand Account.
You can view all your currently owned and managed YouTube channels by going to www.youtube.com/channel_switcher .
If you do opt in, your role will remain the same.
- If you managed the Brand Account from a Business Group, you will be added as a Brand Account Manager.
- If you owned the Brand Account from a Business Group, you will be added as a Brand Account Owner.
If a Brand Account has no Owner as of August 1, 2022, all Managers will lose access.
So if you received this email from Google, confirm whether you want to continue owning or managing your Brand Account, and then opt in before the deadline.
More information
Google Business Profile Help:
About Business Groups
Google Accounts Help:
Manage your Brand Accounts
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