Huge Google+ update is due today: lockscreen widgets, GIFs and Google Now integration

Google+, the social network by Google, is still catching up to Facebook, and it will take a while if it ever manages to get enough traction, but these new features will definitely help. Google Plus is getting a huge update just in time for the Holidays, adding lockscreen widgets, support for animated GIFs and integrating with Google Now for birthday reminders, and other new features.

How big is the update? Big enough to have Google Plus head Vic Gundotra so excited as to not sleep the whole night. The update will bring Google+ to version 3.3 on Android, and the update is expected later on today, just a day after Facebook brought its new, now native app for Android (coincidence?).

But let’s quickly go through the biggest new features of Google+ that you’d get later on today:

- New photo capabilities - now with Instant Upload you can back up as much as 5GB of your images. Photo Sphere panoramas are also now viewable on devices running Android 2.2 (and later).

- Events and communities - the mobile Google+ application now supports communities. You can also send out messages to individual guests for events.

- Hangouts - now you only need a 150KB connection to start a hangout! Great news as you might be able to start a hangout even after you run out of your data allowance, on throttled speeds.

- General tweaks - you can now quickly edit your profile, get a gentle notice for new posts and animated emoticons.

Hit the source link for all the tiny little details, and stay tuned - the update should be out on Google Play in mere hours!

source: Google via Android Central