Ensuring more safety to your account

At Google, we take account security very seriously. Our team of experts work daily to ensure that your personal information is protected. One of the additional tools we've created to give you even more control over your account security is email verification.

Why is it important to have a verified e-mail?
- It allows you to regain access to your account if you forget your password
- It ensures that your account notifications are not sent to others
- It lets you use the Orkut chat to talk to your friends

Aiming to increase the security of your account, we'll start showing a message to all Orkut users who don't have verified e-mails asking them to do so. The e-mail verification, which has been optional until now, will soon become mandatory.

If you're seeing the message asking to verify your e-mail but don't know how to do it, don't worry: we've created a step by step guide in the Help Center that will help you through it.

Verifying your e-mail is only a initial step to make your account safe. If you'd like to learn more ways to increase your account's safety, check out this article in our Help Center.


Posted by Otavio Silva, Google Product Manager

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Orkut Tip: How to post to Orkut and Google+ at the same time

Hi all,

We hope you are enjoying the cool new features we launched last week. However, we know it can be difficult to keep 2 social products updated at the same time. If only there was a way to post to Orkut and Google+ at the same time.

Well, there is!

With the new Google Bar in Orkut, you can not only check your Google+ notifications but also use the Google+ share box to post to your Google+ circle.

But how can I post to Orkut too?

Easy! If you have linked your Orkut and Google+ account, you can automatically share your public Google+ posts to Orkut. To enable that, just follow these simple steps:

1.     Go to Orkut settings, under the gear icon.

2.     Click on the Google+ tab.

      3.     Select the box "If I share a post on Google+ publicly, also post it on Orkut".

      4. Your Orkut stream will look like this:

Please note that you must have previously linked your Orkut and Google+ profiles to be able to do this.

If you have any questions about Orkut, please visit Orkut Help Forum.

If you have any questions about Google+, please visit Google+ Help Forum.

Posted by Bernardo Barlach, Google team.

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Interesting Google+ content on your Orkut profile

There are a lot of cool things happening on Google+. Celebrities, companies and personalities have been using the platform to share their updates, photos and videos. It's high quality content that might also interest you, Orkut user.

That's why we've launched a new feature called "You might like on Google+": on this section, we'll show you Google+ pages and profiles that may interest you. These suggestions are based on your Google+ circles and your Orkut friends.

If the "You might like on Google+" feature doesn't appear on your profile it's because we need an "extra push" to determine your interests. Just circle some new people on Google+ and the suggestions will come!

Posted by Maira Nascimento, Google Engineer

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The new Google Toolbar for Orkut

We launched some cool new features for Orkut users this week. A new layout is now available for users with linked Orkut and Google+ profiles: the new Google
Toolbar for Orkut.

The new Google Toolbar for Orkut is highly integrated with Google+ and allows you to check your Google+ notifications, reply to any comment on your Google+ profile and share new content with your Google+ circles while you are on Orkut.

If your Orkut and Google+ profiles are linked, you will see that the new Google Toolbar for Orkut has some great new features.

• Easy search access on Orkut: Search from any Orkut page.
• Google+ post box: Share on Google+ from Orkut.
• Google+ notifications: Interact with your Google+ tasks while on Orkut.

Remember that the Google Toolbar for Orkut is only available to users that have linked Orkut and Google+ profiles. See our FAQ to learn more about linking your Orkut and Google+ profiles.

So now it's your turn: What do you think? Give us your feedback.

Posted by Diego Fernandes, Google Engineer

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Upgrade your Orkut Profile

We've recently made it possible for you to link your Orkut and Google+ profiles.
Starting today, linked profiles will provide access to an upgraded Orkut profile.
Upgraded profiles will feature the same cover photo of your Google+ public profile and will enable you to further express your interests, personality and style. In addition, your latest Google+ photos can be posted to a beautiful album which makes it easier for your Orkut friends to see your latest snapshots.
If you would like to know more about this feature, check our frequently asked questions about linking your Orkut and Google+ profiles.

Improve your Orkut ! Link your profiles and enjoy a beautiful and special onlineexperience.

These features will gradually become available to all users. 

Posted by Koji Pereira, Google Designer

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A pleasant space decorated with tiles

This is a great opportunity for you to redecorate your home, or better, your Orkut. Patterns are an interesting and quick way to make everything look new, with a clean appearance and greater emphasis on content. So try them out, and share with your friends these new themes!

Posted by Koji Pereira, Google Designer 

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Discovering the activities of community members

Have you ever wondered who the most influential users in a particular community are? How active a certain user is in a community, and how much impact his/her participation has on it?

Next time you’re reading a community topic or poll, hover your mouse over someone’s picture to learn about how that user has been contributing to that community. You'll be able to see how many topics and polls that user has created (and replied to), as well as how many comments, likes and votes his/her posts have received.




Follow the most active members in your communities and try to become one yourself!

Posted by Daniel Fireman, Google Engineer

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