Google has launched a new social networking website that it hopes will battle Facebook for popularity.

Google+ allows users to share photos, messages and comments and integrates the company's maps and images into the service.

Its functions include:

>  Circles, which lets users put friends into groups to share content on matching interests

> Hangouts, which has live multi-user video chat

> Huddle, with group instant messaging

> Sparks, which connects users with others with common interests.

But some analysts say Google has simply reproduced features of Facebook while adding a video chat function.