Google+ (Android)

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Overall rating: 9.7
Installation and Setup: 10.0
Features and Support: 9.0
Interface: 10.0
Performance: 10.0

Review Date: 10/11/12 Average User Rating 0.0 stars No reviews. Write a review
The good: Google+ for Android has a stunning visual interface. Features are almost on par with the full Web version.
The bad: The file is around 30MB. There's no built-in button for sharing posts on Twitter and Facebook.
The bottom line: Whether you're a regular Google+ user or you're just interested in a few mobile features such as Instant Upload and Hangouts, Google+ for Android is a must-have.
Gone is the ugly dashboard of icons that once greeted you upon opening Google+ for Android. Now, you can zip around this stunning mobile app via a nifty sliding navigation ribbon on the left of the screen. This gives you easier access to your Stream, Profile, Messenger, Hangout, Photos, and Circles. Also, the updated app now lets you edit Google+ pages, which has been a highly requested feature.
Google+ is still smoking hot (pictures) 1-2 of 9 Scroll Left Scroll Right

Home What used to be called Stream is now simply your Google+ Home screen. This is the lifeblood of Google+. With the little drop-down at the top, you can choose to show feeds from All Circles, Nearby, What's Hot (trending posts), or any of your individual circles. As of yet, though, you can't create a custom feed with more than one circle (Family & Friends, for instance). Visually, this screen absolutely blows Facebook's Timeline out of the water. Icons are sleek and the large photos are eye-catching. Also, landscape mode lets you scroll through your feed horizontally, which just makes sense.
From your Home screen, you can do almost everything you can in the full desktop version of Google+. You can easily comment on, Reshare, and +1 items, and, of course, you can create and edit your own posts with pictures, videos, and location tags. What's missing are the Facebook and Twitter share buttons found in the full Web version. Still, overall, the Home screen interface is attractive and incredibly well thought out.

Flip your device into landscape mode and you'll be able to scroll through your feed horizontally.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)
Profile Here, you can see your Google+ public profile page, all of your posts, and all of your photos. Unfortunately, you can't edit any of your profile information (except for your photo) from the Google+ app, which is a minor letdown.
Photos As expected, this is the hub for all of your photos and videos. It provides a simple interface for viewing and commenting on items from your circles, items you're tagged in, and, of course, all of your own album items. You can also share, add tags to, or download photos.
One thing I love about the Google+ app is that it includes an Instant Upload feature, which automatically backs up pictures and videos taken on your Android device. By default, these items go into the private "From your phone" album, where you can easily access and share them at your convenience. Of course, you can disable Instant Upload if you're worried about battery drain, but I think it's a superconvenient feature that should be taken advantage of.
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