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Google+ decided to let me IM with people in my circles. But I only ever notice IM messages if I log in to an account via Pidgin (a desktop XMPP/AIM/etc. client). Google offers XMPP login to its chat system.

However, what is my XMPP username (and domain, e.g. gmail.com)? I don't have a Gmail account on this Google Account.

Is it possible to log in via XMPP to chat with my Google+ circles without GMail-izing this Google Account†?

A Google Talk help page suggests it's possible to have a username without Gmail, but not how to create such a Google Talk username.

I tried https://talk.google.com/ . It solicits me to install their proprietary software/extensions locally, rather than just letting me sign up for a username; are those extensions:

  • a way to do so; or
  • the only way to add a Talk-but-not-Gmail username to my existing Google Account?

I'd prefer if there's a Web+XMPP—only way of doing this, if possible.

†I don't want a Gmail account with my Google Account because it would become my primary email for this Google Account, which has various negative effects for me.

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4 Answers 4

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When you sign up for Google+, it automatically signs you up for Google Talk (chat) as well. (Google Talk will appear in your list of Google products.)

If you have enabled people in your circles to chat with you, and they have also enabled you to chat with them, Google+ automatically assigns you an XMPP user name like [email protected] which is included in the chat contacts of those people. The Google+ and GMail web chat clients do not display this address; only the person's name is displayed, and the profile photo if you hover over the name. However this address can be seen for people in your circles using XMPP clients and in the Google Talk Android client. This address allows people in your circles to chat with you, without requiring you to reveal your email address.

I've attempted to log in to talk.google.com using an XMPP client with the assigned XMPP user name but that did not work for me. If you have an associated GMail or other Google-provided email or Google Talk address then you can log in to talk.google.com using an XMPP client with that address, and your chat contacts will include those from Google+. Otherwise, as far as I can tell, the only way to receive IMs sent to you via Google+ is through Google+.

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  • Wow, that is so informative! So I should look for an answer to the second half of my question: how to add a Google Talk address without GMail.
    – idupree
    Commented Dec 6, 2011 at 3:32
  • I think that you can get a Google Talk id without GMail by signing up as a new user to Google Talk using the Windows client. But I think that GMail and Google Talk both use the same gmail.com name space for the JID (chat user name), even if you don't sign up for email, so this might have the same consequences as signing up for GMail as far as Google+ is concerned.
    – mark4o
    Commented Dec 8, 2011 at 22:16
  • This is more of a non-answer, but GMail is free - you could just sign up for one...
    – Cullub
    Commented Dec 2, 2014 at 19:38
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For at least those contacts/friends that have a Gmail account for Gtalk, you can add them from any XMPP service.

So if you have an XMPP account at jabber.org, for example, and you login into their XMPP server, you can easily add [email protected] as a possible buddy (in pidgin) and after authorisation from both sides, you can chat.

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  • Would it be possible to write an example in which you use a specific XMPP client and you show the steps to follow? It would be much clearer :)
    – GeekInDisguise
    Commented Jun 5, 2019 at 10:15
  • i think this whole question is obsolete, since (i think) Google+ was shut down and Gtalk/Google Hangouts etc don't support external XMPP connections for quite a while now already.
    – Luka
    Commented Jun 6, 2019 at 11:23
-1

The solution is to create a new account and disable Hangouts in Google +; if you return to the old version of message box you can send and receive message via Gmail services.

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  • -1: As far as I know, it's not possible to disable Hangouts in Google+ and it's not possible to return to the old chat in Google+ either. If you find how, add more details.
    – Rubén - Volunteer Moderator - ♦
    Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 12:37
  • as i see you haven't check my solution and you are making -1, this solution i applied more times, and i know what i say,Hangout is a service that we can disable or enable as we want, and i used this solution with my application XMPP in android. i will give you a screenshot as a proof of my solution.
    – DataPro
    Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 17:40
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The solution is to create a new account and disable Hangouts in Google +; if you return to the old version of message box you can send and receive message via Gmail services. For @Rubén this is how too do it; just click in the icon near your name in Gmail Acount, and the small screen appear where you can disable the Hangouts and returning to the old version of messaging.

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this is the Result :

enter image description here

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  • 1
    -1: The screenshots are from the Gmail web user interface, not from Google+ web user interface, so this post do not answer the question. The question is about Google accounts that doesn't have a Gmail address.
    – Rubén - Volunteer Moderator - ♦
    Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 20:06
  • i don't know, but i was facing to the same problem i had an email as this : [email protected] and then i did the solution above, and i was able to send email as [email protected], and this solution is practical with android app XMPP using asmack library. also what the difference between using google+ interface or using Gmail user interface if i will get a solution.
    – DataPro
    Commented Sep 17, 2015 at 11:38

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