Main Major Updates iOS to Android Central Google+ Launched

CAS Channel -- Google+ Vice President of Engineering Dave Besbris announced Friday a -new- slate of features for the social network's mobile -use-rs.-Android -use-rs got extra attention, with the addition of improved notices when friends share updates, as well as the ability to edit profiles from phones. In addition, Google is now letting its -android -use-rs access Google+ Communities, a feature it unveiled earlier this month that allows people to create either public or private groups around interests.

Besbris spent the majority of his time focusing on photos. -android -users will now be able to upload photos to the social network in full resolution. Previously, Google would crunch photos to fit within a specified resolution -and- save space. However, Besbris did note that -users are limited to 5GB of uploading space.

On the iOS side, Google added many of the same features, including support for Google+ Communities. -and- here, too, photos are a big deal. Besbris notes in a blog post that the -new- iOS version of Google+ "lets you swipe through photo albums inline; you can tap once to view photos in all their glory; -and- the iPhone app now applies a subtle pan-zoom-scale effect to pictures in the stream."

In both iOS -and- -android, Google+ now lets -use-rs send messages to guests through the Events feature, or invite folks to the event via e-mail or IM.

One other addition to Google+: support for Hangouts over a 150KB-or-greater connection -- a move, Besbris says, that will allow -use-rs to more easily connect with people "in parts of the world with extremely low b-and-width."

Both the -android -and- iOS apps are available now in the Google Play marketplace -and- the App Store, respectively. The apps are available for free.