Google+ Collections lets users curate posts, Pinterest-style

Google+ is one of the more maligned social networks, but it's clear that Google is not going to give up on it any time soon; far from it. Today the search giant unveils a new feature that is more than a little inspired by Pinterest -- Collections.

The new feature lets users group posts together into collections. This is not just something that makes it easy to manage photos, videos and other content, but also provides a new way to create groups about any given topic. With the option of making collections public, private, or shared with a limited number of people, Collections feel like a natural extension to the way Google+ posts currently work.

At launch, Collections are available to Android and web users, but will make their way to iOS in the near future as well. As with many Google launches, this is one that's rolling out gradually, so if you don’t see the feature just yet, it should be arriving in your account soon -- you'll need to update your Android app to take advantage of it on your phone or tablet. Google says:

Posts in collections you follow will appear in your Home stream, with a link to easily jump right into the collection so you can get to similar content from that author. Collections give you a great way to find more of the stuff you love from the people you follow.

In some ways the Collections feature is similar to existing Communities, but it's rather more versatile. Like Pinterest, Collections can be used for personal benefit, or shared with others as required, and there are not the same administrative headaches that can be involved in managing a community.