Google renames Circles icon in app ribbon to Find People

A subtle update to Google+ now claims to have made it easier for users to find their friends and colleagues who may have recently joined the social network. Google’s Sean Purcell wrote in a post that the Circles icon visible in the app ribbon is now called Find People. Quite like its name, this renamed feature allows users to find their acquaintances, be it family, friends, or colleagues and add them. To begin with, users will have to click on the Find People option. Here they will find a new page with a list of people they may want to add, which may include those with whom they communicate on Gmail and other Google products.

Users can get even more suggestions by searching by their school, workplace or other email accounts. Those who're looking to organise their contacts can do so by clicking the "Your circles" button at the top of the page. Once there, users can use the circle editor to view all of their circles and decide who belongs where. 

Easier to find people now

There seems to be a lot of activity happening at Google Plus these days with the search giant rolling out updates galore. Recently, Google's Tim Blasi revealed in an official blog post that the company launched two new features to improve the Hangouts experience in areas with slow Internet connections. While the Hangouts feature on Google Plus, is one of its interesting ones, those in areas with connectivity issues would understandably be unable to use it to its fullest capacity. 

First among these is the bandwidth slider. Users will spot a new slider at the top right of every Hangout, using which they can adjust their bandwidth preferences in real-time. Blasi elaborates that users can keep their Hangouts going with it. 

The audio-only mode feature that allows users to send and receive audio only, thereby reducing the amount of bandwidth required. On the other side of the Hangout, participants will be able to only view your profile picture, but hear you loud and clear. 

These are interesting additions, since this way users even in areas of limited or unreliable connectivity can enjoy this feature (Google+ Hangouts) in the best way possible. 

Prior to that, Google threw open access to Hangouts for Gmail users in India. Google+ Hangouts allows Gmail users to add up to 9 people to a voice chat. Using Hangouts, Gmail users can watch YouTube videos with their friends, collaborate on Google Docs, or play games by adding apps from a menu. Those with a slow connection can opt for the 'Low Bandwidth' mode.

To begin using Google+ Hangouts, click the Hangouts button on the top of the chat list in Gmail. Users can also schedule a Hangout using Google Calendar.