Google+ turns two today and Google has already redesigned its buttons and badges, but that’s not all. The service is also getting some new features specifically centered on photos.
Google’s Jon Emerson says this new functionality is a direct result of feedback from Google+ users:
- A new “Move” option makes it easy to move photos between albums. Just pick a few photos in an album (or click the new “Select” link to select all of them) and choose where they go.
- Easier photo downloads. Once you’ve selected photos, use the new “Download” option to save them to your computer.
- Faster uploading for large sets of photos. We’ve made a few small changes that make adding photos from your desktop an even smoother process.
The suggestions and subsequent additions come a month and a half after a major feature roll out for Google+ Photos. At its I/O developer conference, Google added an Auto Backup tool with 15GB of free storage for full-size photos, an Auto Highlight feature which selects the best photos out of hundreds, an Auto Enhance feature which Google called “an easy button to make your images look beautiful,” and Auto Awesome which presents your photos as GIFs and collages.
Google+ has always had a big emphasis on photos, but as of late it’s as if someone sent out a memo informing all engineers that photos is the number one reason Facebook is so popular. It also happens to be one of the biggest reasons that Facebook users are not eager to leave the social network: all their photos are there.
Since Google can’t exactly offer a tool for Facebook users to export all their content and move to Google+ (if it could, it certainly would), the company has decided to work on improving its photos experience as much as possible. That won’t make Facebook’s 1 billion users suddenly get up and leave, but it certainly can’t hurt.
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See also – Google launches Google+ Photos app for the Chromebook Pixel, says support for other Chromebooks coming soon and Google+ app for Android updated with new photo-editing features, related hashtags and locations area
Top Image Credit: Kimihiro Hoshino/Getty Images
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