Google+ gets an overhaul, now focused on Collections and Communities

Google’s social network has never been a success, but despite low popularity, the company tried to adapt it to the feedback from the community. Collections which was launched just months ago seems to growing faster as well. “Since we last posted, we’ve spent a lot of time listening to what people using Google [Plus] had to say”.

Note, though, that even after downloading the new version of Google+ it make take a while before you’re able to see the new interface, as it looks like Google is enabling the redesign server-side. This sort of design should now be applied on the revamped version of Google+. The result: a much simpler Google Plus that focuses on interests. Those features have been present in Google+ for years, but since they’re the most popular services, they’re now being put front and center.

Users can preview the new Google+ by signing in and clicking on “let’s go”. Although the platform has hundreds of millions of active users, the number is underwhelming compared to Facebook’s more than 1 billion users. “Perhaps it needs to take a page from the Apple playbook, since Apple has become a master at leveraging its users across the Apple landscape”.

The service was widely praised for its approach to photos and its nuanced privacy features (which came only after the company experienced a highly-visible privacy failure with Google Buzz, its predecessor social network). On the one hand, it will compete against Twitter, and on the other hand, it will function as a high-end alternative to Instagram. The first is Communities and the second is Collections (pictured).

The mix of large photos and the discussion stream work well on large personal computers, but it does not translate well on mobile screens, Krewell pointed out. “Unfortunately, splitting the two key features of Google+ will make each new product less appealing”. The implementation is similar to that of social news platform Reddit, which divides its content into different subreddits with topics ranging from technology to minimalism to chess. He has written for Reuters, Bloomberg, Crain’s NY Business and The NY Times.