Fine-tuning Google+ Settings

The Google+ settings page offers a range of options that relate specifically to Google+ (rather than applying to Google as a whole). Click Google+ in the left-hand column of the Google accounts page to find the following options:

+ Who can send you notifications? Notifications are great because they let you know when people have shared or commented on your posts, mentioned you in a post, invited you to a game, invited you to a Hangout, or tagged you in a photo. If you have a lot of people in your Circles, though, you might find yourself getting too many notifications. You can choose who sends you notifications from the following options:

+ Anyone

+ Extended circles

+ Your circles

+ Only you

+ Custom (This enables you to choose specific people and Circles.)

+ Who can start a Messenger conversation with you? This controls who can start a message with you. The following options are available:

+ Anyone

+ Extended circles

+ Circles

+ Set delivery preferences. Here you can determine how Google+ can contact you. The following two options are available:

+ Email. This is not editable here. Instead it is edited using the Account overview settings, which are explained earlier in this chapter.

+ Phone. You can add a phone number here and Google notifies you via your mobile phone. Chapter 13 has more information on setting up and using Google+ on a mobile phone.

+ Manage email subscriptions. This check box (selected by default) allows Google to send you emails about Google+ activity and suggestions of new friends.

+ Receive notifications. You can choose to get notifications by email and SMS (mobile phone text message) using the check boxes shown in Figure 12-14.

+ +1 on non-Google sites. This enables you to choose whether Google can use your +1 information on other websites. When you click +1 on a post to a website page in Google+, other people see you when they hover over +1 on that website. This is enabled by default, but you can click Edit and choose Disable to disable it.

+ Automatically add a Google+ page to my circles if I search for + followed by the page’s name. This option (unselected by default) enables you to add a page to Circles if you search for it.

+ Show photo geo location information in newly uploaded albums and photos. This option is disabled by default. If you want to upload geo location information captured with your photograph, select this check box.

+ Allow viewers to download my photos. This option is enabled by default. If you don’t want users downloading your photos, deselect the check box.

+ People whose tags of you are automatically approved to link to your profile. The Your circles option is enabled by default. You can choose different groups of people who are authorized to tag you in photographs with this option.

When you’ve finished adjusting the Google+ settings, click Back to Google+ to move back to the home page.