Google Plus has long been trying to steal social media users away from Facebook. The company has tried many things to get people to use G+, though none of those things have really worked. Most of the time, Google Plus is a ghost town. But, that doesn't mean that Google is giving up. Quite the contrary.

Google wants to entice more people to join Google Plus by turning its datacenter into a virtual dark room. At the recent I/O conference, Google reps announced the addition of a virtual darkroom to Google Plus. It's the finishing touches on photos that make picture great, Google said. Here's what you can expect from Google Plus.

Using the Darkroom Features

First, Google has pledged to back up all mobile pictures uploaded to Google Plus. This can only happen with your permission, so don't worry about privacy issues. Google simply wants to provide you with a way to back up photographs when you snap them. Most people leave photos on phones, and these photos can become erased easily. So, letting Google store your mobile photos in its Google Plus cloud isn't a bad thing.

Secondly, Google has created something called "Auto Highlight," which was developed to help users sort through and categorize photographs. Auto Highlight will weed out duplicates and get rid of those fuzzy photos (don't worry, these will all be stored, but you won't have to sift through them). Next, Google has created a feature called "Auto Enhance," which automatically enhances photographs. If you don't like the changes that Google has made, you can simply reject the enhancements.

Lastly, Google's new "Auto Awesome" feature meshes together some of your best shots. Auto Awesome might find the best picture of everyone in your family and create one photo, or the feature might animate a series of photos that you've taken. The sky's the limit here.

Making Photographs Amazing

Basically, Google's main goal is to take your regular old snapshots and make them pop. By providing you with a virtual darkroom that doesn't cost a thing, photos posted to Google Plus will be better than ever. Is this enough to get you to use Google Plus? I'm not so sure that people will switch to Plus just to get better photos. Then again, photos are a big deal, so Google might be able to lure a few people away from Facebook.

Most likely, though, Google's new features will simply enhance the user experience that people who already use G+ are facing. Or, Google might get a few extra G+ users, but those people aren't likely to leave Facebook. Google Plus and Facebook (and Twitter, for that matter) are completely different social networks.

Even though Google wants to steal some Facebook users, this writer isn't so sure that's the path that Google should be taking. Perhaps, instead, Google should just learn to let Google Plus live alongside Facebook. Seemingly, there's room for both social networks to thrive. If you use Google Plus, you can check out the new photo features today.