Google Search filter redesign comes to desktop, drops icons on mobile

Abner Li | Apr 1 2023 - 9:05 am PT

Back in December, Google introduced topic filters to Search results as part of a carousel redesign on mobile, and it’s now coming to desktops.

Search has long shown result filters for Images, Maps, Shopping, Videos, News, Books, Flights, and Finance. Last year, Google added related topics, which are designated by a plus sign, that “help you drill down or discover something new about a specific topic.”

For example, if you’re searching for “dinner ideas,” you might see topics like “healthy” or “easy.” Tapping on a topic adds it to your query, helping you quickly refine your search results with less typing. Topics are dynamic and will change as you tap, giving you more options and helping you explore new areas. For example, if you tapped on “healthy,” you might see “vegetarian” or “quick” appear next.

In recent days, these topic filters have appeared on desktop Google Search results. An “All filters” dropdown, which is needed because nothing is fixed in place anymore as everything is ordered by what Google deems “helpful” for each query, appears at the right with Tools, which now appears closer to the edge of your screen and might require scrolling in an unfortunate downside.

Meanwhile, on mobile (web and app), Google is showing a carousel design that lacks accompanying icons after introducing them a few years ago. On a smaller display, that removal is notable as you can see slightly more chips per screen, while it makes the carousel more subtle and almost disappear into the background. It’s not clear if this change is widely rolled out.