Can't send that epic post? Now you can (at least keep trying with minimal hassle) in the latest Google+ Android app.
Though version 7.5 of the app mainly consists of updates behind-the-scenes, there is one noticeable new feature.
Google+ for Android v7.5: Re-sending of Failed Posts, More Squashed Bugs
Can't send that epic post? Now you can (at least keep trying with minimal hassle) in the latest Google+ Android app.
Though version 7.5 of the app mainly consists of updates behind-the-scenes, there is one noticeable new feature.
Two-Column Stream, Quick Access to Google Apps on Google+ iOS v5.4
Coming on the heels of Apple’s announcements a day earlier, the team at Google+ made an announcement of their own with the release of version 5.4 for iOS.
Two-Column Stream
If you’re using the Google+ app on an iPad in landscape mode, you’ll be ecstatic to know that version 5.4.0 finally supports two-column stream browsing. Now you can enjoy more content from your favourite Circles without wasting precious screen real estate!Community Post Search, Multiple Image Re-ordering Roll Out on Google+ Web Preview
It’s hard to believe it’s already been four months - give or take - since the Google+ Web Preview first saw the light of day. Since that time, updates have been coming in at a relatively fast pace, to the delight of us Google+ users.
Let’s see what the Google+ team has released for the Web Preview this week...
Google+ for iOS v5.3.0 Brings 3D Touch Support
A number of new updates have made their way to the latest version of the Google+ iOS app, including the implementation of 3D Touch
While a lot of the focus has been on the Google+ Android app and its weekly version number bump, its iOS counterpart has also been receiving its share of the update goodies. Let's find out what's in store this time round.
3D Touch Quick Actions
One of the most interesting features of last year’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus was 3D Touch. This detects the amount of pressure being applied to the screen, responding to it with haptic feedback. For example, long-pressing an icon on the home screen will bring up a number of shortcuts - called Quick Actions - which can be selected simply by holding and dragging your finger to the desired action.Google+ for Android: Now With Easier Circle Streams Access, Pinning Posts to Profiles
More Prominent Circle Streams
The most noticeable of the two features is the quicker and more convenient switching between Circle Streams.Previously, if you wanted to switch from your Home stream to, say, your “Sci & Tech” stream, you had to open the left-hand navigation menu, tap “Circle Streams,” then “Sci & Tech.” Version 7.4.0 brings Circle Stream navigation out into the open by placing a drop-down menu in the header of the G+ home screen, instead of it being hidden away as before.
Having Circle Stream access front-and-centre also removes the need to perform an extra tap, which will certainly save lots of time and effort hunting for that one particular Circle.
You also can now turn on the “Display circle streams for this device” setting directly from the Following screen. I guess this is a server-side update, though, as I haven’t noticed this on my phone up to now.
Google+ Web Preview Update - March 3rd Edition
There's no slowing down with the Google today. They've been grabbing feedback like bottled water before a storm and incorporating it in the preview layout. Don't be surprised if a few updates hit your G+ before the day's through.
These updates make me really hopeful for the direction of the platform. It shows Google is invested to keep on their toes with everything our community wants. It's not long now that this preview layout will be ready for the big leagues. There's still a few missing options to incorporate and improve upon, but that's for another day.
More Updates Roll Out For the Google+ Web Preview
Improved Profile Information Access
Before, if you wanted to see more information on a certain profile (or your own), you had to click a small “i” icon in the bottom-right. Its size and obscurity made it quite difficult to notice, especially against a light-coloured cover photo. Also, those not familiar with the web preview might’ve missed the icon entirely.The Google+ team has addressed this problem by dropping the icon by replacing it with “ABOUT” in addition to turning the profile name and tagline into links as well.
Notification Filters, Faster Custom Tabs Now on Google+ for Android 7.3.0
Notification Filters
One of the most interesting features of 7.3.0 is that notifications are now categorised into three sections: All, Unread and Other Updates. The first two are pretty self-explanatory though the last one is pretty vague-sounding. No doubt, this will make it easier to see who exactly +1’d or commented on your posts, as well as those who added you to your circles.Full-Screen Profile Pics, Return of New Posts Indicator Now on Google+ Web
Another update has come out for the web preview, and it’s big!
Since the release of the new Google+ back in November, lots of improvements and fixes have been coming out at a fast pace, to the delight of us G+ fans. This time, it’s no exception, so let’s jump in and see what this newest update brings.
Google+ iOS 5.2.0 Brings it Closer on Par with Android App
G+ iOS users get some of those goodies that recently made their way to the Android app.
Though the Google+ mobile app is available for both Android and iOS devices, it seems like the former gets more of the attention, in turn receiving the most recent updates first. (The same can’t be said of Hangouts, however.) After the Android app got bumped up to v7.1.0 a few weeks ago, those on iOS can now rejoice as this latest 5.2.0 update brings it closer on par with its counterpart.
Google+ for Android v7.1 Rolls Out
The Google+ team has pushed out a follow-up to this month’s major Android update.
Earlier this month the Google+ app for Android hit a milestone with the release of version 7.0.0, which included a ton of much-awaited updates, not least being the hiding of the bottom black bar when scrolling through your stream. This was in addition to the home screen now remembering your position after returning from another screen, and the display of autocomplete suggestions when searching, among other changes.
Last week, Google continued their relatively fast-pace of update releases with v7.1.0. Here, the most noticeable change is the ability to tap the Home icon to go right back to the top of your Home stream. This saves on scrolling endlessly or hitting refresh in the overflow menu. Pretty neat, don’t ya think?
Latest Web Preview: One-Click +1’s in Comments, More Precise Timestamps
The latest one contains three minor, albeit pretty handy ones nonetheless, that brings the preview more in parity with the old Google+.
One-Click 1’s in Comments
Though I generally enjoy using the new Google+, one thing that has annoyed me quite a bit is the extra amount of clicks required to do a certain action, like creating a new post or viewing posts from your circles. Now, though, whenever you hover over comments in a post, +1 buttons will appear at the right side (like before). This will definitely be a real time-saver.Precise Post Timestamps
When you’re in the post view, ie. viewing an individual post, you can see exactly what day and time it was shared. It’s an improvement over the previous vague timestamps, which only said “X days ago” or “X weeks ago.”Google+ for Web Adds Community Categories Sidebar, Pinned Posts in Collections
This latest update for the web preview has a slew of new features, some of which will be of interest to those still sticking with the classic G+.
Community Categories Sidebar
The old drop-down menu revealing all the categories in a particular Community has been, well, dropped (sorry for the pun, folks!) in favour of a scrollable sidebar. This will make it easier for those who might’ve overlooked the drop-down menu, especially G+ newbies, and will save users from doing an extra click to access the categories they want.Autoplay GIFs (or not)
Love watching those cat GIFs? Well, now you can automatically play them in your stream! But if you’d rather save your bandwidth, you can head to the Settings and set it to have them play only on the desktop, or not at all.Google+ Android App v6.9 Makes Notifications Full Screen
Ever since the new Google+ was released about a month ago, the team has been working hard updating the Android, iOS apps and the desktop site, in response to user feedback.
This latest update for Android devices bumps the version number up to 6.9.0 and brings with it two noticeable changes.
First up is a new full screen tab for notifications; before, they would pop out from the right edge of your device, which for me was a waste of screen real estate. Now, however, notifications get their own dedicated screen, where you can check out who’s been interacting with you recently, dismiss a particular notification with a simple swipe, or all of them with a new “mark all” icon in the top right corner.
The Days of Comparing Google+ and Facebook are Over
For months now, it was no secret that a major shift in the overall direction of Google+ was in the works, from the removal of G+ integration in YouTube comments, to the separation of Photos and Hangouts from G+, the former leading to the creation of Google Photos, dedicated to the storage and editing of pictures and videos.
As pretty much all of us know, the site was created from the outset to be a “Facebook-killer,” one of the core features being much more granular sharing via Circles, where you could create categories for different groups of people, such as college friends, photographers and the like. This set it apart from Facebook and its friend lists, which were (and still are) very restrictive, being able to see who’s on a particular FB list being one of them.
Of course, Google didn’t succeed in making Google+ the biggest and most popular social network in the world, and that in reality isn’t a bad thing after all, as they found their forte in connecting like-minded people based on their passions. This gained a lot more traction and popularity after the additions of Communities in 2012 and Collections earlier this year. If you want to engage with users with similar passions, such as fellow techies, foodies or even Sherlockians(!), Google+ is the place to be.
Google+'s Redesign Rolling Out to the Mobile Apps [APK Download]
Tuesday, Google began rolling out a refreshed look to their social media network, and now that update has started being pushed to the mobile apps for both Android and iOS users. The update is coming in the form of a new app version; however, it seems to also take a server side push as well since the update alone isn't always doing the trick.
The redesigned UI on web feels a lot like a mobile app, so it's no surprise that the mobile apps look very similar. The design is much more consistent than it was in the past and actually gives off the feel of a hybrid app. If Google has in-fact utilized hybrid app development for Google+, that should make it easier to keep feature parity across Web, iOS, and Android.
Google+ on the Web Gets Minor Updates
Google+ on the web gets a couple tiny aesthetic updates.
In the wake of the major Google brand refresh, desktop Google+, along with the Android and iOS apps, have received the new G+ logo. In the past week, Google Notifications on the desktop has been treated to the new icon. Honestly, I'm wondering why this change didn't happen sooner, but as they say - "better late than never!"
Aside from this, the profile photo in the Google Account drop down next to the notification bell (aka Mr. Jingles) has changed from a square to a circle. I guess this is to keep things consistent with the rest of the profile photos seen elsewhere in Google's services.
In the wake of the major Google brand refresh, desktop Google+, along with the Android and iOS apps, have received the new G+ logo. In the past week, Google Notifications on the desktop has been treated to the new icon. Honestly, I'm wondering why this change didn't happen sooner, but as they say - "better late than never!"
Google+ for iOS Receives Minor Update
The latest update, according to the Apple App Store, just brings "performance improvements and bug fixes" - nothing more, nothing less. However, eagle-eyed plussers will quickly notice the app now has the new icon that came out a few weeks ago, as part of Google's overall rebranding.
Now don't you just wish that Google said more in their update descriptions, even of being vague and generic? A clear and detailed explanation of what the update consists of, even if it would get a bit on the technical side, would be much more informative than the all-too-common "performance improvements and bug fixes."
New Way of Searching Collections on Desktop Google+
Ever found yourself wanting to search for Collections on a particular topic, but didn't want to click Collections in the left navigation menu? Well with this update, you can now simply search for a topic right from the search bar when viewing your stream. You'll then notice that Collections is now one of the search filters that you can select from.
While this is pretty much the same as searching for Collections the long way, it's great that the team has added this feature anyway, presumably to help users who aren't familiar, or haven't discovered, arguably one of the best features G+ has.
[Opinion] Google finally wises up by no longer forcing Google+
Lost, anyone? The plan was simple... Step one: Make new social media platform and force integration with beloved services. Step two: ??? Step three: Profit! Light up the torches because that's a recipe for an angry (albeit digital) mob. YouTubers rioting in the comments, spam running rampant, and... well, you know the rest. The issue wasn't how good Google+ was; we just didn't like it forced on us. Why didn't they back off right then? It's like a bad poker play: just go all-in. Oops!
Now they've looked back on their mistakes and are going to make it all right. This opens the door for some pretty amazing things in the future. What will they do with their newfound realizations. Let's take a look at each of Google's social tools individually!