I downloaded the new Google+ iPhone app (itunes link) yesterday thanks to a link from Mashable. After a day of use here is what I have found so far:
Main Screen
When you launch the G+ app, the main screen is super clean and super simple. There are 5 sections you can dive into; Your Stream, Photos, Circles, a Huddle or your Profile. At the bottom of your main screen is where you will find your notifications.
Main Screen
Notifications View
In the upper left of your screen you will find a settings/preferences icon. This icon opens a screen that allows you to find Help, Give Feedback, the Privacy Policy, the Terms of Service or the ability to sign out.
Main Screen Settings
Streams
Once you tap into your Stream you have some different views you can take advantage of. By swiping your finger from left to right, or right to left you can change these views. You can view your Circles streams, and streams that are flowing from Nearby sources, or an Incoming stream. You can tell what stream you are in by the name of the stream increasing in pt size (see below). In this section of the app you will find a Check Mark and a Pencil icon in the upper right corner. These icons are exactly what you think they are, the Check Mark allows you to check into a location as well as post a pic with your check in. The Pencil icon allows you to post something to your own stream. To refresh Streams, just tap and drag down.
Streams
When you go to post something that is on your mind, the screen will look like the one below. Be sure to take notice that it also has your current location already populated. You can tap the ‘x’ to the left of the location, allowing you to turn that off for your mobile post. Posting a picture along with your post is very intuitive, you can snap a shot or choose from an album at the bottom of the screen, and it has the same location on/off feature. You can also select which circles are going to be able to see your post. If you look in the picture below you will also see an icon of a keyboard in the type window. This will open and close your mobile keyboard.
Post
Photos
I think this is pretty rad, just like I think the photo display on the web version of G+ is rad. Why do I think it is rad? Because I like a lot of visual stimulation for my ADHD.With the Photo section you have some options, it is laid out in a four square pattern. From the upper right to bottom left you have: Photos from your circles, Photos of you, Photos of your albums and Photos from your phone. On this four square layout the images that are used for the icons rotate out like a slide show. Killer. Photos from your Circles displays all the photos from your Cirlces like it would on the web, in a brilliant simple layout of inspiration, fun and life. Photos from your albums are grouped by album and then you can view the individual album by tapping it. Photos from your phone lets you instantly grab a shot from your phone and share it with the rest of the world. Commenting on photos within the G+ app is super easy, and the design, just like everything else, so fresh and so clean.
Your Albums
Circle Photos
Four Squared Layout
Circles
Your circles are displayed very clean on the screen. There are 2 views here, ‘People’ and ‘Circles’. The ‘People’ view allows to see you all of the people you have in your Circles as an alphabetical list. Similar to the display of your address book on the iPhone. Also, at the bottom of this screen you can change the view from ‘In Circles’ to ‘Suggested People’ . The ‘Circles’ view allows you to see the circles you have, with tiny thumbnail pictures of who is in those Circles. There is the ability to add a circle in the upper right. You can also tap a Circle group and this takes you to another screen. This screen shows that Circle in a list and gives you options to see only those streams or only that ‘Circles’ photos.
Circles > Circles View
Circles>Posts/Pictures
Huddle
I’m diggin’, on the Huddle feature. You can invite multiple people to a Huddle and everyone will receive the messages that are being sent across the Huddle. Currently if you are in a Huddle, and still in the G+ app you do not get a noise or push notification letting you know that someone else has pinged the Huddle back. This only happens when you are outside the app. Creating a new Huddle is a snap, just tap the upper right speech bubble icon from there you can add one or two friends. You can even add entire circles. When you are in a Huddle, there are 2 icons in the upper right of the screen. There is a ‘+ person’ icon, which allows you to add people or circles to the Huddle. There is also a settings icon, this lets you leave, or rename your Huddle. The whole Huddle part of the app was a little buggy this morning, but the idea is great. If you need to contact a bunch of individuals at once and what to keep a conversation going, Huddles are great for it.
What a Huddle looks like
Profile
The profile section of the G+ app is really nice as well. Super clean. It shows your Stream in a similar view to what you would see if you were looking at a ‘Friends’ Stream. Along the bottom are three sections within your Profile Stream. An ‘About’ section, ‘Posts’ section (default) and a ‘Photos’ section. I don’t know if such a large profile pic is needed in your own stream, it takes up a lot of reality at the top of the screen. Maybe some individuals have very long names, but if it is your own Stream, you already know your name, just a first name would work here. Refreshing your Stream works the same as it does to refresh other Streams, just tap and drag down.
Profile
Profile > Photos
Profile > About
Overall I am really enjoying the Google+ experience, the mobile app makes it all just that better. Nice work Google, and thanks for making a really nice mobile interface. If you feel like checking me out on G+ head over to gplus.to/tommylincoln.
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