Google+ has changed quite a bit over the years, and today it’s getting another facelift.
Google is refreshing Google+ to better focus on the two features that it says are the most popular on the service: Collections and Communities. With the new Google+, both of those features are getting bumped up to the top of the slide-out menu, followed by sections like your profile and your contacts.
Google says that it’s refreshing the home stream of Google+, too, making it easier for you to post, search, and more. And with this refreshed look, Google hopes to make its social network load faster and look better on all devices, including Android and iOS devices.
The new Google+ is already rolling out across the web, but you’ll have to opt-in to give it a try. Just sign in to your Google+ profile and click the “Let’s go” button when it appears. Do note, though, that not all of the current Google+ features will make it into the new version of Google+. If you find that you’re missing certain features that didn’t make the cut, you’ll be able to switch back to the old design for now. Updates to the Android and iOS apps for Google+ will roll out in the coming days.
While Google+ may at one time have hoped to take on social networks like Twitter and Facebook, the service never seemed to gain quite as much traction as those other networks. Now Google is shaking up Google+ and placing more of a focus on the parts of it that are popular — Collections and Communities — by placing more of an emphasis on them and making it quicker to jump into those features. These tweaks and a fresh coat of paint may not make Google+ the dominant social network — which I’m not sure Google is trying to do anymore, anyway — but they’re sure to please existing users.