Google has just rolled out an interesting update to its main Google app on iOS and Android (including the Pixel Launcher), which introduces a news feed, a personalized stream of articles, videos, and other content. That means users can now “follow” certain topics and people to shape what they’re seeing in the feed.
Google Now, the company’s predictive search feature, which was launched in June 2012, was initially a way to get contextually relevant information (news, sports, and weather) based on location, time of day and your calendar. Last December, Google introduced a new “feed experience” as part of Google Now, which featured search topics in one tab and a personal information and updates, such as travel plans and meetings in another tab.
Now, the new entrant is way more personal feed that will only cater to your interests. While preserving the two-tab structure, the feed becomes richer and more controllable.
“Since introducing the feed in December, we’ve advanced our machine learning algorithms to better anticipate what’s interesting and important to you. You’ll see cards with things like sports highlights, top news, engaging videos, new music, stories to read and more. And now, your feed will not only be based on your interactions with Google but also factor in what’s trending in your area and around the world. The more you use Google, the better your feed will be,” a blog post of Google was quoted as saying.
Users will now be able to follow topics, right from Search results and have that surface on an ongoing basis in their feeds. A new “follow” button will appear next to certain types of search results—including movies, sports, and entertainment stories. A quick tap of the follow button and Google will work to bring you related content into the feed.
Google is also making it easier to dive deeper into any of the topics you see in your feed. At the top of every card, you will see a header that puts your interests front and center, letting you search that topic on Google with one tap.
Launched in the US currently, the new feed experience will be rolling out internationally in the next couple of weeks. While this new update is only available on mobile, for now, get ready for this to be a part of Google on the desktop version, too.
