Jumping on the Google+ bandwagon in recent days, Apple have launched their free Google+ app for iPhone users, which is now available from the App Store. The mobile version of the site was already working well (well… reasonably well) for Apple devotees but developers decided that a more practical and functional application was required to improve users’ experience and sustain the momentum of the hype surrounding the brand new social media platform. And Google have worked very hard to keep up the buzz, having released a number of in-depth announcements outlining their objectives for Google+ and selling the platform as an approachable, unrestricted alternative to other social sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
The app enables you to publish posts much faster, manage your Circles effectively from the home screen and even offers a nifty alternative to the popular Hangout feature found on the full web version – ‘Huddles’. Although only available to those using iPhone or Android mobile platforms, Huddles replaces the group video option with the opportunity to group text instead. It seems the team at Google have really focused on gathering feedback from networkers and have created this app with the mobile users’ needs in mind, highlighting their aspirations to create a site that heavily emphasises the importance of sharing your life online as you choose.
You’re now able to effortlessly post pictures and check your streams on the go, handy for Google Plus-ers looking to truly make the most of the network. Thankfully the platform itself is simple to use, but users who have already fully explored version 1.0 have been online in the past few days to discuss minor technical issues. There has been talk of iPhone owners experiencing crashes and stumbling upon bugs in the software and there was widespread disappointment when it was discovered that the app isn’t compatible with the iPod touch at all. iPad users are able to download the software but Google have yet to release a dedicated app that takes full advantage of the iPad’s larger screen and extended capabilities. On the plus side (no pun intended), Google’s technical support team have been quick to address the problems since the platform’s release and promise further updates for the app in the coming weeks, one of which is already available from the App Store.
