Google+ has been installed more than 500 million times on Android

Despite a constant stream of jokes that no one uses the service, Google+ for Android just joined the ranks of Facebook and Twitter as some of the most installed apps on the platform with more than 500 million installs.
Google’s budding social network often faces quite a bit of criticism, despite being quite successful given how young the service is. While a good deal of this is no doubt encouraged by Google insisting on weaving other products into the social network, anyone who has spent actual time on the service can see that there’s no shortage of active users. A small update to the Google+ app description on the Google Play Store serves as a reminder that the service has no shortage of users, as the app crosses the 500 million user mark. (And if you think Google’s been overreaching, here’s how to shut off the new Google+ email messages.]
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Back in October Google claimed that there was at least 300 million daily users for Google+, a number which was heavily scrutinized after their presentation. Google has worked hard to offer unique features to their social network, like free multi-user video chat through Hangouts and Hangouts on Air and the ability to store uncompressed photos through mobile upload. The service is home to a vibrant community of gif sharers, photographers, and mobile enthusiasts. While the service is not nearly as large as Facebook or Twitter, there’s no shortage of evidence that the service is growing every day with more users and more features.
If you haven’t given Google+ a try before, now is a great time to give it a shot. Both the iOS and Android apps for the platform are incredibly well designed, and there are unique features to each mobile OS that make it fun to use. You could check out our weekly Geekout session while you’re there, if you like, or take a look at any of hundreds of user built communities for whatever interests you. While it’s certainly easy to look at Google+ and join in on the mockery, actually using the platform for a bit may turn you into a dedicated user.