Along with moving Google+ to a public beta, Google is launching various new features and improvements for Google+.  There is now a search feature that allows users to search for relevant content and new contacts.

Many other improvements are centered around mobile device functionality for Google+, with the ability to now comment via text message, receive Google+ notifications, and also edit account settings like custom notifications and your profile photo from your phone.

CIO.com reports:

“For 12 weeks, Google+ has been in ‘field trials,'” Google Senior Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra explained in a company blog. “We’re nowhere near done, but with the improvements we’ve made so far we’re ready to move from field trial to beta.” Now anyone can go to the Google+ site and sign up for the service.

All of these new features to Google+ are set to be unveiled just days before its social networking rival, Facebook, is scheduled to hold its developers conference, which starts Thursday.  With these improvements, it seems Google is making a run at becoming a big player in the social networking scene.