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How to Use [the New] Google+: Tutorial

Posted on the 19 November 2015 by Ana Hoffman @AnaTrafficCafe

On November 17, 2015, Google-owned social media platform Google+ stepped into an unknown territory.

It went from being the ‘everything-for-everybody site’ to focusing on what Google+ is truly great at: passions.

The new Google+ is all about connecting around common interests (Collections and Communities) rather than people (Circles).

How to Take the New Google+ for a Spin

Invitations to try the new Google+ on the web are rolling out throughout the week.

You’ll be greeted with a pop-up at the bottom-left corner of the home stream inviting you to ‘Try the new Google+’ when it’s your turn in line.

BONUS TIP:

If you are dying to see what all the buzz is about NOW, you can force Google’s hand by going to your your Google+ activity page plus.google.com/apps/activities. Once on that page, simply click on the Search box and, voila!, the page will refresh revealing the new Google+.

If you use the Google+ app on a mobile phone, you’ll see the new Google+ when your app updates.

If you try out the new Google+ on the web and want to switch back to the classic Google+, click Back to classic G+ in the bottom left corner.

BIG FAT NOTE that applies to this entire Google+ tutorial:

As per Google, you can only see and change some settings on certain platforms. If you can’t find something you’re looking for, please try a different device.

How to Use the New Google+

The new Google+ is geared towards sharing links, videos, pictures, and other content with people who share your interests.

  • Use your home stream to see posts based on your interests and what/who you follow.
  • Use Collections to see and share posts based on topics you’re interested in.
  • Use Communities to have conversations with other people who share your interests.

If you want to see what’s new in the new Google+ at a glance, read my post on LinkedIn:

Google Plus Is Dead – Long Live Google Plus!

Here’s a quick rundown on how to use Google+:

  1. Click on ‘Home’ to view your home stream – here you’ll see posts based on your interests and what/who you follow.
  2. Click on ‘Collections’ to see and share posts based on topics you’re interested in.
  3. Click on ‘Communities’ to have conversations with other people who share your interests.
  4. Click on ‘Profile’ to see your own posts.
  5. Click on ‘People’ to find people to follow, see who you are currently following (that’s where you manage your circles as well), or who follows you.
  6. Click on ‘Circle Streams’ to see streams (posts) from specific circles you’ve created. (NOTE: if you don’t see this option, go to Settings, scroll down to Advanced Settings, and turn on ‘Enable circle stream in navigation’.)
  7. In ‘Settings’ you can fine-tuned a few profile features, as well as your notifications.
  8. Click on ‘Back to classic G+’ to revert to the old Google+ version. Not sure how long this feature will be available.
Discover how to use the new Google+Click To Tweet

Get Started with Your Google Plus Home Stream

You can see your Google+ home stream by choosing ‘Home’ in the Google+ menu.

This is where you see posts that other people have shared.

To fill your home stream with content that’s most interesting to you, follow Collections or join Communities based on your interests.

You might also see recommended content, which is popular content Google thinks you might like. (I am yet to see what that looks like.)

When you see a post in your Google+ home stream, you can:

  •  +1 it
  • Comment on it
  • Reshare it
  • Mute it
  • Report it

What does it mean to +1 a Google+ post?

You can use the +1 button to show that you like what someone else posted.

To +1 a Google+ post:

  1. Find the post you want to +1.
  2. Click or touch the +1 icon .

To undo a +1, touch the +1 icon again. You can also delete +1’s from your Activity Log.

SIDE NOTE:

To get to your Activity Log, go to Settings => Apps & Activities =>MANAGE GOOGLE+ ACTIVITY

To see it now, simply click on this link (it’ll go straight to your Activity Log assuming you are logged into Google+.)

Who can see your +1s:

  • People in your network might see posts that you’ve +1ed in their stream and might get a notification that you +1ed their post.
  • Anyone who can see a post can see who +1ed that post.
  • Your Shared Endorsements settings affect how your name and picture might be used when you +1 ads.

Once again, you can go back and see posts and comments you’ve +1ed, as well as remove your +1 by checking your Activity Log.

Here’s what your Google+ Activity Log looks like:

How do +1s make your Google+  posts more visible?

People who see posts and comments you make can +1 them.

Their followers might see that they +1ed your post or comment, and you might get a notification that someone +1ed your post or comment.

How to comment on a Google+ post

You can comment on Google+ posts that other people share.

Anyone who can see a post you comment on can see, reply to, and +1 your comment, unless you’ve blocked them or they blocked you.

To comment on a post:

  1. Open the post you want to comment on.
  2. Click or touch the comment icon  .
  3. Add your comment, then click or touch POST, ADD, or the send icon  .

After you make a comment, you can edit or delete it:

  1. Find the comment you want to edit or delete.
  2. Touch your comment or click the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Edit or Delete comment.

SIDE NOTE:

If you don’t see the comment icon on a Google+ post, it means you don’t have permission to comment.

People can turn off comments on their posts after other people have made comments, so you might see comments on a post without being able to post a comment.

How to reshare a post on Google+

To reshare something someone else posted:

  1. On the post you want to reshare, click or touch the share icon.
    1. On a computer or the Android app: .
    2. On iOS: .
  2. Click or touch Share on Google+.
  3. Choose who you want to share the post with.
  4. Click or touch POST (on a computer or the iOS app) or the post icon   (on Android).

SIDE NOTE:

If you don’t see the share icon, it means the person who made the post chose not to let people reshare it. You can’t share privately shared posts publicly.

How to mute a Google+ post

Sometimes, a post you’ve shown interest in (commented on it or +1ed it) attracts a lot of activity from other people.

Thus you might start seeing that post at the top of your Google+ home stream and/or get notifications about it – again, again, and again.

If you no longer want to see a specific Google+ post in your home stream or get notifications about it, you can mute that post.

To mute a Google+ post:

  1. Open the post you want to mute.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Mute or Mute post.

What’s the difference between the two?

When you mute a Google+ post, you’ll no longer see that post in your home stream or get notifications about it.

When you mute a person…

How to (and why) mute a person on Google+

If you don’t want to see posts or notifications from someone on Google+, you can mute that person.

To mute a person:

  1. Open the profile of the person you want to mute.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Mute or Mute profile.

How to report abuse on Google+

If you see something on Google+ that violates their User Conduct and Content Policies, you can report it.

Report a Google+ post, comment, person, Collection, or Community:

  1. Open the post, comment, Collection, Community, or profile of the person you want to report.
  2. Touch or click the menu icon .
  3. Touch or click Report abuse (or for comments, Report comment).

Report a photo:

  1. Open the photo you want to report.
  2. Touch or click the menu icon .
  3. Touch or click Report abuse.

You can also block someone who is posting things you don’t want to see.

How to block someone on Google+

If you don’t want someone to be able connect with you on Google+, you can block them.

When you block someone in Google+:

  • They won’t be able to see anything you post after you block them, or comments you leave on other people’s posts.
  • They won’t be able to mention you in posts or comments on Google+, or comment on anything you’ve posted on Google+.
  • You’ll be removed from each other’s circles. They also won’t be able to add you to circles.
  • If the person you block is an owner or moderator of a Community you belong to, they can still see and moderate your comments and posts.
  • They won’t be able to use Google Hangouts with you. Google+ blocks that affect Hangouts can also affect Google Voice.
  • You can see people you’ve blocked and unblock them using your Activity Log.

IMPORTANT:

Blocking only works if the person you’ve blocked is signed in to their Google Account. For example, if the person you’ve blocked is signed in, they won’t be able to see your public posts. But if they aren’t signed in, they may be able to see public posts.

To block someone on Google+:

  1. Open the profile of the person you want to block.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Block or Block profile.

TIP:

If you don’t want to see someone’s posts in your Google+ home stream, but you don’t want to block them, you can unfollow them.

How to Connect with people on Google+

You can follow someone on Google+ to see what they share in your home stream.

When you follow someone on Google+:

  • They are added to your “Following” circle. (we’ll talk more about Google+ circles below)
  • They might get a notification letting them know that you’re following them.
  • They can see that you’re following them.
  • They can choose what you see from them.
  • They can see what you share and previously shared with your “Following” circle.

How to follow someone on Google+:

  1. Open the profile of the person you want to follow. You can search for their name, or click or touch their photo next to a comment or post they’ve made.
  2. Click or touch FOLLOW.

To unfollow someone on Google+:

  1. Open the profile of the person you want to unfollow. You can search for their name, or click or touch their photo next to a comment or post they’ve made.
  2. Click or touch FOLLOWING (or the name of the circle they’re in).
  3. Unselect the “Following” circle.
  4. Click or touch DONE or OK.

Other great ways to connect with people on Google+:

  • Comment on posts;
  • +1 posts and comments.

How to Use Circles on Google+

A-ha… the infamous circles… you do exist in the new Google+! For now anyway…

You can use Google+ circles to control who you share posts with.

Add people to a circle, then share a Collection or a post with that circle, so only those people can see it.

A few quick notes about Google+ circles:

  • You can add someone to a circle even if they don’t follow you.
  • People in your Google+ circles are able to see posts you share with that circle, including posts you shared with that circle before you added them.
  • Doesn’t mean those people would necessarily see those posts in their home stream (so don’t spam by adding everyone and their dog to a circle!)
  • They might get a notification letting them know you added them to one of your Google+ circles.
  • People you add to circles may also be able to use Hangouts with you.

You can change your settings to choose whether to show people you have in circles on your Google+ profile.

You can see people you have in your circles by choosing People in your Navigation menu.

You can add someone to a circle or remove someone from a circle at any time.

How to create a Google+ circle:

  1. In the Navigation menu, click or touch People.
  2. Click or touch Following.
  3. Click or touch NEW CIRCLE.
  4. Name your circle, then click or touch CREATE.

How to add or remove someone from a Google+ circle:

When you follow someone, they are put in your “Following” circle by default.

To add someone to your “Following” circle, follow that person.

To add someone to a different Google+ circle:

  1. Open the profile of the person you want to move to another circle.
  2. Click or touch the name of the circle that they’re in, or the checkmark next to their name.
  3. Use the menu to add them to a different circle.
  4. Click or touch DONE.

To remove someone from a Google+ circle:

  1. Open the profile of the person you want to move to another circle.
  2. Click or touch the name of the circle that they’re in.
  3. In the menu that appears, uncheck a circle to remove them from that circle.
  4. Click or touch DONE.

How to share to a Google+ circle:

When you share a post, you can share to a specific circle. People may be able to see who else you shared a post with.

How to see your Google+ circle streams:

You can use circle streams to see posts from a specific circle.

Your Google+ circle streams are off by default. You can turn them on from the Settings menu: go to Settings => Advanced Settings => Enable circle stream in navigation.

Once you turn on circle streams, you can see them in your Navigation menu.

Sharing with ALL your circles vs specific circles:

When you create a new circle, it is automatically added to “Your circles.” If you don’t want to share posts to ALL of your circles, you can choose which ones to share with.

To choose if one of your circles is included when you share to “Your circles:”

On a computer:

  1. In the Navigation menu, click People.
  2. Click FOLLOWING.
  3. Next to the circle you want to add or remove, click the menu icon .
  4. Click Circle settings.
  5. Turn the option next to “Include when sharing with Your circles” on or off.

In the Android app:

  1. Open the People menu .
  2. Touch FOLLOWING.
  3. Open the circle you want to add or remove from “Your circles.”
  4. Touch the menu icon .
  5. Touch Circle settings.
  6. Turn the option next to “Your circles” on or off.

How to Get started with Google+ Collections

With Google+ Collections, you can organize posts around topics, and let your followers choose what types of posts they want to see from you.

For example:

  • Create separate Collections for photos, recipes, sports, or other interests. Your followers can choose which Collections they want to see.
  • Create a Collection for personal photos and updates that only certain people can see.

When you create a Google+ Collection, you can:

  • Choose who can see and follow your Collection
  • Choose whether people who follow you will automatically follow that Collection
  • See who’s following your Collection
  • Post to that Collection
  • Change how your Collection’s page looks
  • Delete your Collection

When someone follows your Google+ Collection, they can:

  • See posts you make in that Collection in their home stream
  • +1, comment on, and reshare posts in your Collection
  • Unfollow your Collection at any time

When you follow a Google+ Collection, you can:

  • See posts from that Collection in your home stream
  • Choose whether to get notifications about that Collection
  • Unfollow that Collection at any time

Google+ Collections vs. Communities

On Google+, you can follow a Collection or join a Community.

Collections are created by just one person, and only that person can post to that Collection. You can follow someone else’s Collection to see what they share, but you can’t share posts into someone else’s Collection.

Communities can have more than one owner and moderator, and other people can join that Community. Once you’re a member of a Community, you can post to that Community. Members of that Community may see your posts in their home stream.

How to create a Google+ collection

You can create Collections in Google+ to organize your posts and share them with only the people you want to share with.

  1. Touch or click Collections .
  2. Touch or click YOURS.
  3. Touch or click Create a Collection.
  4. Type a name for your Collection.
  5. To choose who can see your Collection, touch or click the menu next to Visible to:
  6. Touch or click CREATE or DONE.

After you create a Collection, you can edit or delete it any time.

How to see who’s following your Collection:

After you make a Collection in Google+, you can see who’s following it any time.

  1. Open the Collection you want to see followers for.
  2. Touch or click the menu icon .
  3. Choose Collection followers.
How to move a post into a Collection:

If you’ve already made a post, you can move it into a Collection.

  1. Open the public post you want to move.
  2. Touch the menu icon .
  3. Choose Move to Collection.

You can only move one post at a time, and you can only move public posts.

How to edit or delete a Google+ Collection

After you make a Collection, you can:

  • change the name of your Collection,
  • add a tagline,
  • choose the background color,
  • and change the cover photo.

You can also change the “following” setting for your Collection, which lets you choose whether people who follow you automatically follow that Collection.

However, you can’t change your Collection’s visibility settings after you create it. If you have shared your Collection with a circle, any new people you add to that circle will also be able to see the Collection.

Edit a Google+ Collection

To change the cover photo or background color of a Collection:

On a computer
  1. Open the Collection you want to edit.
  2. Click the menu icon .
  3. Click Edit Collection.
  4. Make your changes, then click SAVE.
On a mobile device
  1. Open the Collection you want to edit.
  2. Touch the paintbrush icon .
  3. Make your changes, then touch DONE.

To change the name, tagline, or following settings for your Collection:

  1. Open the Collection you want to edit.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Edit Collection.
  4. Make your changes, then click or touch SAVE.

Pin a post in your Google+ Collection

You can pin a post in your Collection to make that post show up at the top of the Collection’s page.

  1. Open the post in the Collection that you want to pin.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Pin post or Pin to Collection.

Delete a Google+ Collection

You can delete a Collection any time, but you can’t undo a deletion. When you delete a Collection, all of the posts in that Collection are deleted.

To delete a Collection:

  1. Open the Collection you want to delete.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Delete Collection.

How to find and follow Google+ Collections

When you follow someone’s Collection in Google+, posts they make to that Collection may show up in your stream.

TIP:

You can follow a Collection without following the person who made it.

How to find Google+ Collections to follow:

  1. Touch or click Collections .
  2. To follow a Collection, click or touch FOLLOW.
  • To see a Collection’s page, click or touch that Collection’s picture.
  • To see Collections created by other Google+ users, click or touch FEATURED.
  • To search for Collections, click or touch the search icon .

See another person’s Collections

You can see another person’s Collections by visiting their profile.

Some of their Collections will show up at the top of their profile. You can click or touch MORE to see all of their Collections that you have permission to see.

How to unfollow a Google+ Collection

When you unfollow a Collection, you won’t see posts from that Collection in your stream.

To unfollow a Collection:

  1. Open the Collection you want to unfollow.
  2. Click or touch FOLLOWING.

Get started with Google+ Communities

With Google+ Communities, you can share content and have conversations with people who share your interests.

Posts from Communities you join can show up in your stream.

When you join a Community, you can:

  • See what other people have posted to that Community in your stream
  • Share posts to that Community for other members to see
  • Comment on posts in that Community
  • Leave that Community at any time

When you create a Community, you can:

  • Choose who can see and join your Community
  • Add other people as moderators and owners
  • Remove a person from your Community
  • Moderate posts and comments in your Community
  • Edit how your Community page looks
  • Delete your Community

How to find and join Google+ Communities

When you join a Community in Google+, you can see posts from that Community in your home stream and you can share posts to that Community.

You can see posts on public Community pages even if you aren’t a member of the Community.

Find Google+ Communities to join:

  1. Touch or click Communities .
  2. To join a Community, touch or click JOIN. Communities that you need permission to join will say ASK TO JOIN instead.
  • To see Communities created by other people on Google+, click or touch RECOMMENDED.
  • To search for a Community by name, click or touch the search icon .
  • To see a Community’s page, click or touch a Community’s picture.

NOTE:

If you join a “private” Community, only members can see your posts in that Community. Members and people who have been invited to join a private community can see who is currently in the Community.

If you join a public Community, anyone can see posts you make in that Community and a list of members of that Community.

Leave a Google+ Community

When you leave a Community:

  • You won’t see regular updates from that Community in your home stream.
  • You won’t be able to share posts to that Community.
  • You may not be able to see the Community’s page.

To leave a Community on Google+:

  1. Open the Community you want to leave.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Leave Community.

See another person’s Communities

You can see another person’s Communities by visiting their profile if they’ve chosen to share their Communities on their profile.

Some of their Communities may show up at the top of their profile. Click or touch MORE to see all of their Communities that you have permission to see.

NOTE:

You may not be able to see the Communities you’ve chosen to share on your profile on all platforms.

You can check the Communities you’ve chosen to share on your profile by switching back to classic Google+ and there you can edit which Communities you choose to share on your profile.

Show more or less from a Google+ Community

You can choose how much content from a Community shows up in your home stream.

To change this setting:

  1. Open the Community you want to see more or less from.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Community settings.
  4. Click or touch the drop down menu next to “Volume of posts delivered to your home stream:” to choose the amount of posts you see from that Community.

To change this setting in the iOS app:

  1. Open the Community you want to see more or less from.
  2. Touch the menu icon .
  3. Touch View on web.
  4. Follow the steps above.

Get notifications for a Google+ Community

You can choose whether to get notifications from Communities that you join.

NOTE:

For some large Communities, you may not be able to turn notifications on.

On a computer

  1. Open the Community you want to change notification settings for.
  2. Click the menu icon .
  3. Click Community settings.
  4. Use the switch next to “Get notified about new posts” to turn notifications on or off.

On a mobile device

  1. Open the Community you want to change notification settings for.
  2. Touch the menu icon .
  3. Touch Turn notifications on or Turn notifications off.

How to create and edit a Google+ Community

You can make your own Communities on Google+ based on your interests. Other people can join and post to that Community, depending on the permissions you set.

When you create a Community, you are the owner, and you can moderate that Community.

To create a Community on a computer or the Android app:

  1. In the Navigation menu, click or touch Communities.
  2. Click or touch Yours.
  3. Click or touch Create a Community.
  4. Choose a name and visibility settings for your Community, then click or touch Done.

After you make a Google+ Community, you can:

  • change its cover photo,
  • change its name,
  • change whether people need to ask to join,
  • add categories, links, a description, and a location.

To edit your Google+ Community on a computer or the Android app:

  1. Open the Community you want to edit.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Edit Community.
  4. Make your changes, then click or touch DONE.

To edit your Google+ Community in the iOS app:

  1. Open the Community you want to edit.
  2. Touch the menu icon .
  3. Touch View on web.
  4. Follow the steps above.

To delete your Community using the Android app:

  1. Open the Community you want to delete.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Delete Community.

Pin a post in your Google+ Community

You can pin a post in your Community to make that post show up at the top of the Community’s page.

  1. Open the post you want to pin in the Community.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Pin post or Pin to Community.

Privacy settings for Google+ Communities

When you make a Community, you can set its privacy settings, but you can’t change those settings after you make your Community.

Public Communities are open to anyone. They show up in search. Anyone can see and join (or request to join) them. Anyone can see a public Community’s posts and members.

Private Communities let you share posts with other members. Only members can see a private Community’s posts and members and invitees can see the member list. Communities can show up in search, depending on their settings.

If you make a Community private, you can choose whether it shows up when people search for Communities in Google+. If you make a Community private but searchable, people will be able to ask to join your Community. People who aren’t in a private Community can see its name and picture.

Note for private Communities that are not searchable and that people cannot ask to join:  If someone has the link to your Community, they’ll still be see your Community’s name and photo. Other pages and content (including websites, blogs, and Google products such as Picasa Web) that link to your community can still appear in search results on Google and other search engines.

How to Moderate a Google+ Community

When you make a new Google+ Community, you become the owner and can make other people moderators or owners.

A Google+ Community owner can:

  • Invite people to join the Community
  • Approve requests to join the Community
  • Ban or remove people from the Community
  • Edit information about the Community
  • Delete the Community
  • Make other members of the Community moderators or owners
  • Demote moderators and owners
  • Moderate posts and comments in the Community

You can also become a moderator of a Community that you didn’t make.

A Google+ Community moderator can:

  • Invite people to join the Community
  • Approve requests to join the Community
  • Ban or remove people from the Community
  • Moderate posts and comments in the Community
  • Step down as a moderator and become a member

Remove or ban someone from a Google+ Community

Removing someone makes them leave the Community, but they can join it again if they want to.

Banning someone prevents them from joining the Community again unless you un-ban them.

When you remove or ban someone, posts and comments they already made in that Community are not removed from the Community.

To remove or ban someone from a Community, you must be an owner or a moderator.

  1. Open the Community you want to remove or ban someone from.
  2. Click or touch the pictures of your Community members.
  3. Next to the person you want to remove or ban, click or touch the menu icon .
  4. Choose Ban from Community or Remove from Community.

Make someone a moderator or owner of your Google+ Community

You can make someone a moderator or an owner of your Google+ Community.

Someone has to be a moderator before you can make them an owner.

  1. Open the Community you want to make someone a moderator or owner of.
  2. Click or touch the pictures of your Community members.
  3. Next to the person you want to promote, click or touch the menu icon .
    1. On a computer or the iOS app, choose Promote from member to moderator or Promote from moderator to owner.
    2. In the Android app, choose Promote to moderator or Promote to owner.

If you don’t want someone to be a moderator or owner of your Community anymore, follow the steps above and choose:

  • On a computer or the iOS app: Demote from moderator to member or Demote from owner to moderator.
  • In the Android app: Demote to member or Demote to moderator.

In the iOS app:

  1. Open the Community you want to make someone a moderator or owner of.
  2. Open the menu .
  3. Choose View on web.
  4. Follow the steps above.

Invite someone to join your Google+ Community

You can invite people to join your Google+ Community.

Inviting someone to your Community lets you create and share a post about your Community with that person, and for “private” or “request to join” Communities adds them to the “Invited” members list, which only moderators and owners can see.

  1. Open the Community you want to invite someone to.
  2. Click or touch the share icon.
    1. On a computer: .
    2. In the iOS app: .
    3. In the Android app: .
  3. If a menu appears, choose Invite people.
  4. Choose who you want to invite, then share your post.

In “private” or “request to join” Communities you can cancel an existing invitation:

  1. Open the Community you want to cancel the invitation for.
  2. Click or touch the pictures of your Community members.
  3. Filter the list to “Invited.”
  4. Touch or click the menu icon next to the person’s name.
  5. Touch or click Cancel invitation.

Remove a post or comment from your Community

You can moderate posts and comments in your Google+ Community that members make.

When you remove a post or comment from your Community:

  • No one in that Community can see, share, comment on, or +1 that post or comment in your Community, except the person who made it.
  • If the post was reshared to another Community or Collection, people can see it there.
  • People may still see the post on the profile of the person who made it.

To moderate a post or comment in your Community:

  1. Open the post or comment you want to remove from your Community.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Remove, Remove comment, or Remove post.

Some posts may be automatically categorized as possible spam.

Those posts will only show up in the community for owners and moderators, who need to decide whether to accept or reject the posts.

Get Started with Sharing on Google+

When you share a post on Google+, people who follow you and have permission to see that post can see it in their streams. Posts you share can also show up on your profile.

You can choose who can see what you share by sharing posts to Collections, Communities, or people.

Sharing Google+ posts publicly

When you share a Google+ post with “public,” anyone can see it, even if they’re not using Google+.

How to share a post on Google+:

On a computer

  1. Click the share icon .
  2. Type your post.
    1. To share a photo, click the photo icon .
    2. To share a link, click the link icon .
    3. To share your location, click the location icon .
  3. To choose who to share the post with, click the blue text next to your name. You can share with a person, a Collection, a Community, or a circle.
  4. Click POST.

On a mobile device

  1. Touch the share icon .
  2. Type your post.
    1. To share a photo, touch the photo icon .
    2. To share a link, touch the link icon .
  3. To choose who to share the post with, touch the blue text next to your name. You can share with a person, a Collection, a Community, or a circle.
  4. On iOS, touch POST. On Android, touch the post icon .

Reshare a post on Google+

To reshare something someone else posted:

  1. On the post you want to reshare, click or touch the share icon.
    1. On a computer or the Android app: .
    2. On iOS: .
  2. Click or touch Share on Google+.
  3. Choose who you want to share the post with.
  4. Click or touch POST (on a computer or the iOS app) or the post icon (on Android).

NOTE:

If you don’t see the share icon, it means the person who made the post chose not to let people reshare it. You can’t share privately shared posts publicly.

Share a Google+ post externally

You can share the URL of a public post from Google+ to another service like Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by sharing externally.

To share a public Google+ post externally:

  1. Open the post you want to share externally.
  2. Click or touch the share icon
    1. On a computer or in the Android app: .
    2. In the iOS app: .
  3. Click or touch Share anywhere or Share via…, or choose where you want to share it.
  4. Choose the website you want to share the post to.

Edit a Google+ post you’ve shared

You can make changes to a post after you’ve shared it on Google+.

To edit a post:

  1. Open the post you want to edit.
  2. Click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click or touch Edit post.
  4. Make your changes, then click DONE or touch SAVE or the send icon .

You can also delete your post.

Sharing geo location information in photos

Google+ lets you include geo location data when you share a photo. This setting is turned off by default.

If you turn this setting on, people can see where your photos were taken when they open or download your photo.

To turn this setting on or off:

On a computer:

  1. Open the Navigation menu, then choose Settings.
  2. Scroll to “Show geo location by default on newly shared albums” and use the switch to change your setting.

In the Android app:

  1. Open the Navigation menu, then choose Settings.
  2. Choose the account you want to change settings for.
  3. Touch Photos and videos shared on Google+.
  4. Use the checkbox next to “Location” to change your geo location setting.

Prevent people from commenting on or resharing your post

When you make a post, people can comment on it and reshare it by default.

If you don’t want people to be able to comment on or reshare a post you make, you can change that setting.

To stop people from commenting on or resharing your post:

  1. Open the post you want to turn off commenting or resharing for. You can also change this setting when you are making a post.
  2. Touch the menu icon .
  3. Choose Disable comments or Disable reshares.

You can delete a comment someone left on your post by opening the menu in the comment and choosing Delete comment.

You can also change who can comment on your public posts using the Settings menu.

Google+ and Search

The content you share publicly in Google+ is publicly searchable – even if your Google profile isn’t.

The content that you share to specific circles or people is only searchable by the people it was shared with.

There’s no way to make the content you share not searchable.

How to Delete and Manage Your Google+ Activity

When you share a post, make a comment, or +1 something, you can delete your activity later.

You can also edit your post or delete your Google+ profile.

Delete a  Google+ post or comment:

To delete a post or comment that you’ve made:

  1. Open the post that you shared or commented on by clicking or touching the post.
  2. To delete a post, click or touch the menu icon .
  3. Click Delete or touch Delete post.
  4. To delete a comment, click or touch the comment, then click or touch Delete comment.

Undo a +1

To undo a +1 on a post, click or touch the +1 button again.

To undo a +1 on a comment:

  • On a computer, click the +1 button again.
  • On a mobile device, touch the comment, then touch Remove +1.

Delete a post, comment, poll vote, or +1 using the Activity Log

If you can’t find a post you shared, commented on, or +1’ed, but still want to delete your activity, you can use the Activity Log.

To delete activity using the Activity Log:

  1. In the Navigation menu, choose Settings.
  2. In the Android app, choose an account to manage.
  3. Click or touch Activity Log or Manage Google+ Activity.
  4. To see different kinds of activities, like posts and +1’s, click or touch the drop-down menu at the top.
  5. To delete an activity, click or touch the X next to the activity you want to delete.

See and edit your Google+ profile

Your Google+ profile includes posts you’ve made on Google+, Collections you’ve created or followed and Communities you’ve joined.

A few ‘good-to-knows’ about your Google+ profile:

  • You can also add a cover photo, a profile photo, and a tagline, which are public.
  • To see your Google+ profile, click Profile in the navigation menu.
  • From your Google+ profile, people can also see more information about you by clicking on the information icon .
  • You can also edit some of this information through About Me.
  • When you change your name, tagline, profile photo, or cover photo in Google+, it is reflected in your About Me information.

How to edit your Google+ profile

You can edit your Google+ profile to:

  • Change what Communities show up on your Google+ profile
  • Choose whether to show Collections you follow on your Google+ profile
  • Add or change a tagline
  • Change your cover and profile photos

Note that Collections you own will be displayed on your profile automatically to people you have shared them with.  For example, public collections you have created may be displayed to anyone who visits your profile.

NOTE:

Profiles look different in the new Google+, and other information may show up on your old Google+ profile.

You can switch back to classic Google+ to see and edit your old Google+ profile.

Profiles may also look different on different platforms.

To edit your Google+ profile on a computer:

  1. Open your Google+ profile by opening the Navigation menu, then clicking Profile.
  2. Click Edit profile.
  3. Make your changes, then click SAVE.

Edit your About Me information from Google+

Because people can see your About Me information using Google+, you can edit some of your Google-wide About Me information, including your name and nickname, from Google+.

NOTE:

When you make changes to your About Me information from Google+, those changes will show up in other Google products where people can see your About Me information.

To edit your About Me information from Google+:

  1. Open your Google+ profile by opening the Navigation menu, then touching Profile.
  2. Touch the info icon .
  3. To make changes to a section, touch the pencil icon .

About +Pages

You can use +Pages to make Google+ pages for anything that isn’t a person, like a business, a band, or a team.

To create and edit +pages, or to add and remove managers, you can visit the Google My Business Help Center.

You can use Google My Business to manage your +Pages.

How to Change Google+ Settings

You can change your Google+ settings by opening the Navigation menu and choosing Settings.

In the Android app, you need to select an Account after you open Settings.

Google+ Profile Setting

You can choose what information shows up on your Google+ profile. You can also edit your Google+ profile by navigating to your profile.

Some parts of your profile only show up to people looking at your profile using classic Google+.

You can also choose whether to help others discover your profile in search results.

Notifications settings

You can turn notifications on or off based on specific actions, like when someone mentions you in a post or invites you to a Community.

NOTE:

You may not receive certain low priority notifications on all devices.

Stream settings

You can choose whether your home screen always shows up in a single-column layout or shows up with multiple columns when your screen size is big enough.

Some accessibility settings, like heading navigation, work best with the single-column layout.

You can only see and change this setting using a computer.

Photo and video settings

You can choose whether to include geo location by default on photos you share.

You can choose whether people can download the photos and videos you share.

You can also choose whether photos you share publicly on Google+ can be used as background images by Google.

Unless you change this setting, photos you share publicly may be featured on Google products like Chromecast and Google Fiber. You’ll get an email from Google if one of your photos gets featured.

Sharing settings

You can change visibility settings for your +1 activity.

Location settings

You can use the “Location” settings in Google+ to change your Google Account location settings.

Contact settings

You can choose whether people you connect with on Google+ get added to your Android contacts.

You can also turn “Improve suggestions” on or off, which lets Google use data from your device to make suggestions for you in Google+.

You can only see and change these settings using the Android app.

Apps with Google+ Sign In

You can manage apps you’ve connected to your Google Account from the Google+ settings page.

You can only access this setting using the Android app.

General settings

You can choose who can comment on your public posts.

Activity log

Once again, you can use the Settings page to see and make changes to your Activity Log.

You may need to first click Manage Google+ Activities.

The Activity Log lets you manage and delete your activities on Google+, like comments, +1’s, or posts.

Shared endorsements in ads

You can turn shared endorsements in ads on or off. Learn more.

Circle stream settings

You can choose whether to show circle streams in your Home menu.

To see circle streams in the iOS app, open the circle you want to see a stream for, touch the menu icon, and choose View circle stream.

The New Google+ vs the Classic Google+

…Taking a deeeeeeep breath… This humongous, but extremely helpful Google+ Tutorial is almost over. You made it all the way to the end! 

This seems like a good place to mention a few odds-and-ends – a few differences between the old (aka ‘classic’) Google+ and the new one.

What happened to Google+ Events?

In the new Google+, you can only make new events in the Android app.

To make events on a computer, switch back to classic Google+.

Google+ Polls

If you’re using the new iOS app or the new Google+ on your computer, you’ll be able to vote on a poll but not create one.

Switch back to classic Google+, or use the Android app to make a new poll.

Location Sharing

With the new Google+, you can:

  • See locations that people are sharing with you in their Google Account information.
  • See everyone sharing location with you on a map with Locations in the Android app.

You can no longer share your location from the new Google+ iOS app. If you previously set up Location Sharing with the iOS app, you can use My Account to see and change your Location Sharing settings and can continue sharing your location if you’re using Location History in the Google app.

Google+ Hangouts

Google+ Hangouts has been moved to its own home at hangouts.google.com.

The New Google+: Marketing Takeaway

Some say Google+ is dead.

Some say Google+ has finally found itself.

What do I say?

If it hadn’t been for Google+, I might’ve not met some of the brightest minds in the marketing industry today – Eric Enge, Mark Traphagen, Chef Dennis Littley, Rebekah Radice, Peg Fitzpatrick, Mike Allton, Martin Shervington, MaAnna Stephenson, Denis Labelle, Glenn Gabe, Yifat Cohen, Gina Fiedel, Stephan Hovnanian, Dustin Stout, David Amerland, Eli Fennell, Ronnie Bincer, Christine DeGraff, Mia Voss, Vincent Messina, Linda Buquet and many, many, many more.

If you, too, want to meet and build strong relationships with some of the best deep thinkers in just about any niche, Google+ is definitely for you.

I’d also highly recommend you listen to the recent blab I hosted with Mark Traphagen, Dustin Stout, and Eric Enge as my guests, on the future of Google+ – this is an excellent, excellent listen on the topic:

Google+ is dead, long live Google+!

And on that note, I leave you to go explore the new Google+ for yourself – on one condition: don’t forget to come back and let me know what you think.

Off to play with the new Google+,