Google+ gets the biggest minor update ever
The Google+ app for Android got what appeared to be a pretty minor update today, but it is actually one of the best updates, and one that fixes an annoyance that we've had with the app since it was first launched. If you have been following our articles about the various Google+ app updates, we have frequently commented on one continuous problem: sharing links on mobile.
The option to share links has always been there, but the problem was that when you shared a link, it would post as a plain link and would not be expanded to the much more visually pretty posts that you would get if you shared the link on a desktop. That has finally been fixed, and is listed in the changelog as "improved sharing support for 3rd party apps". Now, links shared will be expanded properly for the most part. Videos, even those from YouTube, still don't get posted as embedded videos, but it's still a big improvement. The only downside is that it can take a few seconds for the link to display, which will delay you in actually posting the link, but we're sure that'll get sped up in future updates.
The update also adds support for hashtags in the stream, which will make it much easier to find and engage in conversations on various topics. And, there is also the ever popular "bug fixes and performance improvements."
If you want Google+ now that sharing links from your mobile phone looks much better (and the entire product looks better thanks to the new layout), the Google+ app is available for free in the Google Play Store.
Things that are NOT allowed: