Mashable to your circles. You'll get the latest about new Google+ features and tips and tricks for using the platform as well as top social media and technology news. Using Google+? Addto your circles. You'll get the latest about new Google+ features and tips and tricks for using the platform as well as top social media and technology news.

Guide updated January 18, 2012

Google+: It's the hot social network on the block. In just a few months, Google's competitor to Facebook and Twitter has amassed more than 40 million users, and its growth hasn't stopped. It's become a hotbed for early adopters, tech luminaries, marketers and businesses around the world.

Google+, however, isn't the easiest thing to understand. It has a lot of features that may confuse beginners. Even advanced users can get mixed up in the changing channels and moving parts of Google+.

A recent change new and old Google+ users should take note of is Search Across Your World launched on Jan. 10, 2012. This new Google search feature integrates social search results from Google+ into the traditional search results.

Now Google can pull search results from your Google+ friends and material from other Google+ users whom you don't follow who have related content labeled public. This new feature further integrates Google+ within the Google system. Now, Google+ members can experience more personalized search results. A toggle button will allow you to enable this feature or turn it off. Search results from Google+ profiles you follow, content from people you have added to circles, and related content labeled as public from people you do not follow will show up. Product Management Director of Search Across Your World Jack Menzel explained to Mashable that Google+ members will be able to “search across information that is private and only shared to you, not just the public web.”

We will continuously update this guide as new initiatives such as the Search Across Your World are started, further integrating Google+ into the Google ecosystem.

We decided to dig into every aspect of Google+, from Hangouts to Circles, from Google+ Pages to what's next for Google's social network. The result is an extensive guide on all of Google+'s key features as well as an introduction to the service and the important things you need to know. We have included commentary, videos and photos our in-depth guide.

So, without further ado, here is Mashable's complete guide to Google+:

What Is Google+?

Google+ is the search giant's latest attempt to create a social network that rivals Facebook. Google launched Google+ on June 28, 2011 with a private beta. The project was led by Google's Senior Vice President of Social Vic Gundotra.

The social network is a collection of different social products. These features include Stream (a newsfeed), Sparks (a recommendation engine), Hangouts (a video chat service), Circles (a friend management service), Games and Photos. We explain all of these features later in this guide. More features such as Questions are expected to launch in the near future.

Google chose to name the information-sharing platform Google+ because the service is "an extension of Google itself," Gundotra explained to Mashable days before the launch. It is an improvement to Google, explaining why the company decided to change the iconic Google navigation bar to include a link to each user's Google+ profile, as well as a new icon that displays how many notifications a user has received, much like the Facebook notifications feature.

This is hardly Google's first shot at dominating social space. It has a long history in social media including social networking service Orkut, launched in 2004, and its biggest success in the social sphere, the 2006-acquired video-sharing behemoth YouTube. This history also includes big flops: Google Wave and Google Buzz.

Screenshots: What Google+ Looks Like

This gallery will provide you with a quick overview of what Google+ looks like. Keep reading this guide to learn more about how to use all of Google+'s features.

Introducing Google+

Why Should Someone Use Google+?

Great, Google made a social network. Now you're probably asking yourself: Why the heck should I use Google+?

We aren't here to pitch Google+. Instead, we asked our Google+ followers a simple question: Why should someone use Google+?

The response was overwhelming. We got more than 500 responses on the Mashable News account and my Google+ account. Since we can't post everybody's responses, we have chosen six that we believe encompass why so many people are excited by Google's new social initiative:

"Google+ is a much cleaner way to selectively share data with others. As Google integrates more of their other cloud products, like Documents, Calendar, and Reader, you're going to see it become one of the primary means of absorbing the data streaming from the Internet and sharing it with others." ~ Jason Poggioli "It's the combination of being able to share based on (hopefully!) mutual interests with the ability to get exposure to interesting people and ideas. The relationship doesn't really have to be two way, but it doesn't all have to be public." ~ Holly Henry "For some reason, the level of engagement is higher. Commenting and resharing seems to happen at a higher rate here (so far.)" ~ Bill Shander "I've had a Facebook account since 2003. It's time for something more grown up that gives me more control and has a more organic user experience." ~ Sean Cooper "The clean user interface of Google+, combined with the lack of distracting elements, or so-called features (such as all of the add-on games and apps on FB that clutter up your stream), that I never use, attract me to Google+. This, combined with the Circles feature, choosing who you share with, are the primary draws." ~ Scott Davis "If Facebook and Twitter had a baby, they'd call it Google+." ~ Olaf Wempe

Getting Started

You must use a Gmail or Google Apps account to sign up for Google+ — no invites required. If you decide to sign up with a Google Apps account, there are a few caveats to remember. The most important one is this: the administrator of your Google Apps account can potentially modify or delete your account.

Signing up is simple: just fill in information like your name and your birthday. Once done, you are taken directly to Google+.

While we go through every single one of Google+'s features step-by-step in this guide, it's always smart to know the basic commands and syntax of Google+. We have included a Google+ cheat sheet that explains how to mention friends in your posts (like you can already do on Facebook or Twitter), how to bold your text and more.





A Video Explanation of Google+

The following videos produced by Google provide a quick introduction to the project. Check these videos out and keep reading our guide to learn more about Google+'s key features.

Google+: A Video Walkthrough

Profile

Once you have your Google+ account set up, the first thing you should do is fill out your user profile. If you've already created a Google Profile before, that data will automatically be imported to your Google+ Profile — in fact, your Google+ Profile replaces it.

When you first join Google+, it will ask you to enter a few key details, such as your tagline (a brief description of yourself), employment and academic affiliations. It will also ask you to choose a profile photo. Once you set these details, you will have the opportunity to populate your profile with a myriad of other profile details including an "Introduction," a "Bragging rights" section, "Occupation," "Places lived," "Relationship" status, "Looking for," "Other names," "Nickname" and "Search visibility" options. On the right side, there is space to add links related to yourself. Most users add a personal website or blog as well as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn links.

There are also privacy settings you may adjust in the profile. Options include allowing people to email you from a link on your profile and being public, private or somewhere in between using Google+ Circles (explained below).

Your profile also displays members of your circles and who has added you to theirs. You can change the privacy settings on the left side of your profile to make this data public or private.

Google+ Profiles

Circles

Understanding Circles is essential to mastering Google+. The search giant has opted not to simply let you "friend" people you know, like you do on Facebook, or "follow" individuals on Twitter. Instead, Google+ gives you more control over who sees your content.

Circles allows users to drag-and-drop their friends into different friend groups, which categorizes them. This allows you to put your mom in your "Family" circle, your boss in your "Business" circle and a friend from college in your "Friends" circle. You can create as many circles as you would like. However, making too many becomes cumbersome and may diminish the usefulness of Circles.

To add friends to a circle, all you have to do is drag-and-drop them into a circle. You can add friends into as many circles as you want. It initially suggests friends based out of your Google Contacts. It also lets you find friends by importing address books from Yahoo!, Hotmail and from your desktop. Removing friends from a circle is simple as well, involving a drag-and-drop of a person from within a circle to the outside of the circle.

Clicking on a circle gives you more granular control over adding and removing people. You can also rename your circle, write a short description, view the stream for your circle, open your circle in a tab and delete your circle.

Why should you create circles in the first place? The answer is simple: You want to share different things with different friends. You may want to share a risqué photo with your close friends, but share a link about your company's newest hire with just your business network. Google+ Circles gives you the ability to have this kind of control over both what you share and what content pops up in your stream.

Google+ Circles

Stream & Sharing Content

Facebook users will instantly get the hang of Google+ Stream — it's just a newsfeed of the latest content shared by your circles. This content can be anything from a status update to a photo.

There are a few differences between the Google+ Stream and the Facebook News Feed. Posts by your friends move to the top of the feed based on which post has the most recent comment. Older posts are eventually buried in the stream. Instead of "liking" a post, you can "+1" a post — this is part of Google's push for the +1 Button. You can also share posts with circles or mute a post that is clogging up your stream.

Updating your status is a snap — type content in the "Share" box at the top of your stream and choose who to share it with. You can share it with the public (all of your followers) or just share it with certain circles. In addition to text, you can share photos, videos, links and your location. Google+ automatically detects the content of the links you share and allows you to choose a thumbnail from that link.

The left-hand navigation includes a Stream option where you can filter your Google+ Stream. If you want to see posts by members of your business network, just click on that circle under the stream. Under the Stream option, there is a link to Google+ Sparks, which we will explain later. There is also an option to activate Google Chat for your Google+ account.

The right-hand navigation includes a link to manage your circles and a Suggestions section, where Google suggests people to add to your circles, based on who is in your Google Contacts and who your friends are following. Google also lets you start a Google+ Hangout video chat from the right-hand menu (we explain this feature in another section). You can also invite your friends to join you on Google+ from the right-hand nav.

Search & Sparks

In September 2011, Google rolled out search for Google+, letting you search through the social network's vast array of content.

Google+ searches through three things: people, Pages and content. If you conduct a search for "bacon," for example, you will be shown a page with the most relevant people to the search, along with any Google+ Pages that match the search query (we explain business Pages in a later section).

Under the people and pages box is the section for searching through content. You can sort by "Most recent" content or by "Best of", which Google automatically curates based on shares, +1s and other signals. You can search just your stream, your friends' streams or all of Google+.

Google+ Search also integrates Sparks, a feature that finds the most interesting news content related to a search topic. Sparks used to be featured on the Google+ homepage, but it now lives within search as a feature. The feature also lives in the "What's hot" link that appears in the left-hand navigation. "What's hot" simply brings the most interesting content across all of Google+ to the surface.

All searches can be saved. Saving a search places a link on the left-hand navigation for easy retrieval. This is ideal for people who want to monitor chatter about a brand or person. Google+ also has trending topics, displaying the hottest topics of conversation on Google+ at that very moment.

Hangouts

In our opinion, Google+ Hangouts may be the social network's killer feature. It's a novel twist on the traditional group video chat, and it's definitely received a positive reaction from the Google+ community.

Here's how it works: You click on the "Start a hangout" button on the right-hand menu of the Stream. Clicking it opens up a chat window where you can check your mic and choose who will be able to join the hangout (either by inviting individuals or sharing it with your circles). Once the hangout is live, your friends will see the hangout prompt in their stream. They can then join the hangout until a maximum of ten people have joined.

If you've never used the Google Talk feature before, you will have to install a small piece of software before Hangouts can work.

Google SVP of Social Vic Gundotra compares Hangouts to friends sitting on the porch vs. knocking on a neighbor's door. Few people are willing to knock on a neighbor's door just to start a conversation, but if you see friends sitting on a porch and walk by, it's almost rude not to drop in and say "hi." Gundotra thinks this multi-person video chat feature, visible to chosen circles, will bring people together more easily than one-on-one video chats.

Once you're in a hangout, you will notice a couple of things. First, you will notice that the video switches from person to person. This is based on who is talking into the microphone. You can hover over a person's video feed and either report them for abuse or "mute" them. Muting someone will mute them for everybody in the hangout, at least until he or she unmutes his or her mic. Users can also mute their video if they wish.

Google+ Hangouts also comes with a group text chat feature (similar to Google Talk). Another cool feature of Hangouts is that users can jointly watch a YouTube video. Settings lets you adjust the mic, camera and other video settings.

In recent months, Google has introduced new features to Hangouts. These include named hangouts, integration with Google Docs, the ability to screen share and a sketchpad feature. The company is also testing live video viewing with a small group of partners.

Photos

Google+ comes with a fully-built photo albums product, powered by the technology behind Picasa (also owned by Google).

Clicking on the Photos tab on the top of your Google+ page will display recent photos uploaded by your friends, as well as how many comments each photo has received. Clicking on any of these photos brings up a photo slideshow with the most recent comments on the right-hand side and photos from your other friends on the bottom.

The slideshow is simple to navigate — click on a picture to bring it up, or click and drag your mouse from side to side to scroll through other pictures. In this slideshow view, you can add tags or check out photo details such as the type of camera used to take the photo.

Another section of Photos lets you check out photos in which you've been tagged. You can approve or reject photo tags here. No photo will be tagged with your name until you approve it.

One of the most important features of Photos is the capability to upload photos and create albums. By clicking the giant "Upload New Photos" button at the top right, you can create a photo album by simply dragging and dropping photos into the browser. Once created, you can share that album with selected circles, individual friends or make the album public. Albums remain private until shared.

Users also have the ability to edit photos right in Google+. The browser-based editor includes simple features such as cross processing, auto contrast and black-and-white effects. You can also rotate the image or delete it entirely.

Any photos you upload via the Stream will be added to an album called "Photos from posts," available in the "Your albums" section of the Photos app.

Google+ Photos

Games

While the full Google+ Platform has yet to roll out, Google has introduced one key piece of it: Games.

Games, accessible by clicking the icon to the right of Circles and to the left of the search box, opens up a page where you can play a number of third-party games. The Games homepage cycles through a list of featured games, while the left-hand navigation shows what game notifications you've received, as well as which games recently played.

Game notifications are separate from the main Google+ Stream. These notifications are similar to the notifications you might get on Facebook for CityVille or Angry Birds. Playing a social game on Google+ is just like playing one on Facebook except for the fact that you have different friends on the two social networks.







The social gaming dynamics are key. Angry Birds shows your score in relation to the rest of your circles. Users can recruit their friends to join them in games such as Mafia Wars 2. You can see if they are likely to be interested based on the featured games page that shows which games your friends have recently played.

Top games include Angry Birds, CityVille, Dragons of Atlantis, Zynga Poker, City of Wonder, Bejeweled Blitz, Sudoku Puzzles and Mafia Wars 2.

Privacy

The last time Google treated privacy as a secondary feature, it got burned with a lawsuit. This time around, Google isn't playing games with Google+ and privacy.

In the Google+ settings page (available if you click on the gear icon on the top right of the black bar), you can change all of your privacy settings. From the "Account overview" tab, you can change your password, activate multiple account sign-in (an advanced feature for users with lots of Google accounts) and delete your profile and/or Google account.

The "Profile and privacy" tab is where you can really dig deep into your privacy settings. From here, you can edit the visibility of every part of your profile, manage your circles, change your network visibility, adjust your photo settings, or visit the Google Privacy Center. Google+ also has a feature where you can view your profile as your mom or your friend would see it. This is a useful feature that lets you know for sure if the content you want private is indeed private.

The settings page also has options for editing email and mobile phone notifications, as well as options for changing the default language and connecting other social accounts to your Google+ profile. The latter feature is designed to improve Google Search more than your Google+ profile.

Finally, Google is walking the walk when it comes to data liberation. As Google data liberation lead Brian Fitzpatrick explained to Mashable, the company believes that if it is to be trusted with more of your social data, it needs to provide users an option for taking that data out hassle-free. That's why you can download your Google+ data, including stream posts, profile data and photos. The export feature is powered by Google Takeout.

Mobile

Google owns one of the world's most popular mobile operating systems (Android), so it's no surprise that Google+ prominently features its mobile apps. And as of July 28, Google+ has mobile apps for the iPhone and Android.

The Google+ mobile apps are relatively straightforward. They come with a half dozen different icons (5 for iPhone, 6 for Android) and a notifications bar. The mobile app allows you to access your stream, take and upload photos, view and update your profile and manage your circles.

Two features stand out about the Google+ mobile apps. The first is a feature called "Messages," which is essentially a group texting feature not unlike GroupMe or Beluga. It allows you to put a group of your friends together so you can send and receive texts visible to the group.

The second unique feature of Google+'s mobile apps is something called "Instant Upload." The Instant Upload feature automatically takes the pictures you take and syncs them with your desktop — making uploading pictures onto various social networking websites super easy. These photos are uploaded into a private album that you can manage and share at your convenience.

As mentioned before, Google+ also has a mobile interface that allows you to post updates, check what your circles are posting, comment and +1 friends' posts, and update your location. The Android version also supports Google+ Hangouts, and iOS support is coming soon.

We expect Google to add more to Google+'s mobile apps as it improves the service.

Google+ Hangouts with Extras

Google+ for Businesses

Google+ Pages Launch For Companies

It took Google a few months, but Google+ now supports businesses and brands through Google+ Pages.

Google+ Pages is the search giant's version of Facebook Fan Pages. Brands can create Pages that amass followers, who can upload pictures, share thoughts and pretty much anything a Facebook user can do on a Fan Page.

There are a few differences, of course. Users can +1 a Page to signify their support for a brand. Pages also have a square icon that indicates they are a Page and not a person.

Google+ Pages are also integrated directly into Google Search through a feature called Direct Connect. Whenever a user starts a search query with the "+" operator, it will start bringing up Google+ Pages as they type. Typing "+Toyota" and clicking the result will take you directly to the Toyota brand Page.

Setting up a Google+ Page is relatively simple as well. We've created a short guide to the process, which you can check out in the gallery below:

How to Set Up Your Google+ Brand Page

What's Next for Google+?

Google refers to Google+ as a project because it believes it's far from finished. The product is only a few months old and it has a lot of bugs that still need to be fixed.

Google's Vic Gundotra says that the company has been launching a new feature almost every single day. Things like Google+ Pages and Google+ Games are recent additions, and more (such as a rumored "Questions" feature) are coming in the near future.

Most of all, expect Google's social network to evolve as it tries to meet user requests and sets its sights on Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the social media universe.

Follow Team Mashable on Google+

To help you get started on your Google+ journey, we've included a full list of Mashable staff members that are actively using Google+. In addition, you can follow Mashable News for the latest social media, technology and digital news from around the world. We look forward to engaging with you!

More Helpful Google+ Resources

The following is a collection of Mashable's top resources on Google+. We will update this list on a regular basis: