Google+ gets a fresh new look

Google+ has received a revamp that completely changes the way it looks. Assuming you have received the design update, the first thing you’ll notice on the left is a new ribbon that houses all the key features of Google+. You can hover over them to access additional functions, move them around or put them into ‘More’ if you don’t use them very often.

Next you will notice that your conversation stream has changed a bit. The photos and videos appear a lot bigger than before and there is also a new album viewer. On the right side is a trending list, à la Twitter, to keep a tab of the topics being discussed on Google+. There is a separate Explore section on the side for you to check out all the popular and trending posts on Google+.

The Hangout option has also been refreshed. In case you are not aware of it or simply forgotten about it since the last time you used it (in which case I don’t blame you), it is a video calling feature that lets you talk with multiple people simultaneously. In the redesign, it gets its own dedicated section where you see your friends who have invited you to a hangout along with other hangouts from people you may not necessarily have added to your circles. Google believes this will help you make new friends. Google will present you with a bunch of hangouts that you can join as long as they are public. This feature can also be used for broadcasting an event to multiple people.

The chat list has been moved to the right side of the screen. Lastly, your profile page has been updated and now you can have Facebook Timeline style large cover photo.

Unlike the previous design, which was aligned in the center of the browser window, the new one tends to prefer the left side. The content in the middle, however, does not occupy the width of the monitor, which leaves a lot of empty space between your timeline and the chat list if you have a widescreen monitor. Hopefully Google address this issue soon.

Google is rolling out this update to everyone and it should take some time to arrive if it hasn’t already.