"Explore" is an evolution of What's Hot and Recommended, a stream which surfaces posts that are trending on Google+. As part of the change, "What's Hot" has been brought from the navigation bar on the left of Google+ and moved to the tabs at the top of the stream and renamed to "Explore". Don't worry, you'll still see trending posts on the freshly-branded page, what's really new is the addition of an "Explore Google+" card which sits at the top.
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| Look for the "Explore" tab at the top of the stream |
On the card is a selection of hashtags, which range from topics such as #Photography, #Science and more. Clicking on a topic will allow you to go deeper, bringing up a set of sub-topics, as well as popular and recommended posts on the page. If there isn't a topic you'd like to explore, there's a handy hashtag search box at the bottom of the card.
We've been able to view content like this ever since hashtags were implemented on Google+, the Explore card just wraps everything into a nice interface and makes it easier for newer users to the platform to explore more.
If you are situated in the US, than chances are high that you'll be seeing "Explore" over the next day or two. +Steve Farrell who made the original announcement has stated that the feature will be expanded to other countries and languages "in time". It's not all of a disappointment for the rest of the world though, as there is a "What's Hot and Recommended" card in the stream which allows you to search hashtags, which surfaces posts and offers up similar topics when searching. It is limited compared to what the US has, but it's better than nothing at all.
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| Those outside the US will get a limited (and not as pretty) "What's Hot" card instead |