Google Search Stories June 22
Google Search now lets you set difficulty levels for ‘Word of the day’ notifications
Back in October, Google Search on Android and iOS introduced a simple “Word of the day” notification that now lets you select a different difficulty level.
As Pride month continues, Google is adding support for an LGBTQ+ owned attribute to Business Profiles that appear in Search and Maps.
Google Search Stories June 16
Google is making it easier to find at-home COVID tests
As COVID-19 has become something we’re learning to live with, Google is announcing new changes to how it handles information about the pandemic in Search. These adjustments include easier results for at-home COVID tests.
Featured Snippets in Google Search are a great way to get quick answers to your queries, but sometimes one answer isn’t enough. Now, Google Search is testing out a new design for Featured Snippets that shows more websites.
Google Search Stories June 15
Google easter egg celebrates the 2022 Westminster Dog Show
The latest easter egg in Google Search celebrates the 2022 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, set to begin this weekend.
Google Search Stories June 14
Google Discover, which is arguably a key way that people find stories to read on Android, has a major issue with blatant, barely-masked plagiarism in Web Stories.
Google Search Stories May 24
With Android 13, a revamp of the Pixel Launcher search experience is underway, and one aspect of it is now live with the latest Google app beta.
Google Marketing Live is the company’s annual equivalent of I/O for advertising. The 2022 edition saw Google announce several new shopping and advertising experiences that end users can expect in the coming year, including Discover video ads.
Google Search Stories May 11
Google wants to give you more control over the advertising that appears in Search, the Discover feed, and YouTube with its upcoming “My Ad Center.”
The Google Pixel lineup has added focus on accurately depicting skin tone colors. At I/O 2022 today, Google is expanding on “Real Tone” with a new set of filters for skin tones in Google Photos as well as an open-source library.
Google Search is a powerful tool that harnesses the power of everything Google knows and uses it to give you more information about the world around you. Today at Google I/O 2022, Google has announced an expansion of Lens called “scene exploration” that will let the product “explore” your surroundings, identifying products and even filtering them in real time, as well as more enhancements to multisearch.
Google Search Stories May 10
In a limited experiment, Google Search has begun showing like counts for articles in the Android app’s Discover feed for some.
Update: Google is continuing to test this feature, with a slightly broader rollout.
Google Search Stories April 27
Google Search now lets you request address, phone number, and other personal info removal
Google is expanding what content you can request the removal of in Search to more types of personally identifiable information as part of a policy update. This now covers phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses.
Google Search Stories April 21
Google Search touts ‘major reductions’ against hacked and gibberish spam in 2021
Google’s annual Webspam Report is here to highlight progress in keeping “spam and malicious content away from Search” over the course of 2021.
Google re-engineers how cookies work on its sites to add ‘Reject all’ button in Europe
Following regulatory fines this year, Google has announced new consent choice banners for cookies in Europe that most notably feature a “Reject all” button.
Google Search Stories April 20
Last year, Google started prominently showing air quality (AQI) data to Nest Hub and other Smart Display users. You can now also search for air quality on Google to get detailed information.
Google Search Stories April 19
Google has been spotted testing a new redesign for Search that moves alternate search methods like Google Images over to the left-hand side.
Google Search Stories April 7
One of the most interesting announcements at Google’s Search-focused keynote in September was a big upgrade to Lens that lets you take a photo and ask questions about it. “Multisearch” in Google Lens is now available to beta test on Android and iOS.
Google Search Stories April 5
Google Discover tests expanded weather info at top of feed [Update: Sports & stocks]
Google has once again tweaked its signature Discover feed on Android to offer redesigned and expanded weather information at the top.
Update: Sports scores and stock info are also appearing in this same area.
Google Search Stories April 4
Following the ongoing removal of Assistant Snapshot on Android, the Google for iOS app looks to be adding a “Notifications” tab.
Google Search Stories March 31
To help people evaluate news that appears in Search, Google is adding a “highly cited” label to the Top Stories carousel and other information literacy tips.
Google Search Stories March 28
Google pulling the plug on ‘low value’ URL parameters tool next month
Google about to close a tool that’s been available since 2009. The URL parameters tool used by webmasters will officially be discontinued by Google next month, but it’s no huge loss.
Google Search Stories March 23
Google says irrelevant Search results have decreased by 50% in recent years
One Google Search critique of late blames targeted SEO content for the declining quality of results. Google today pushed back against that claim by saying Search has “decreased the number of irrelevant results by over 50%” in the last seven years.
Google Search Stories March 21
Google adds Mei’s Red Panda from Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ to its collection of 3D animals
After going viral back in 2020, Google has slowly expanded its collection of 3D animals and objects in Search. Now, Google is adding a fun one: a 3D dancing model of Mei’s Red Panda from Pixar’s latest film, Turning Red.
Google Search Stories March 17
Performing a Google search has become an everyday occurrence for most of us, and now Chrome is working to make it easier to browse your results with a new “Side search” panel.
Update: Google is continuing to expand Chrome’s “Side search” feature by supporting more devices and search engines.
Google Search Stories March 14
Court rules in favor of Google after Genius claimed ‘stolen’ lyrics… again [Updated]
In 2019, lyric-website Genius accused Google of ripping off its lyric transcriptions to use in Search even catching Google “red-handed” in the act. Following a court case win in 2020, Google has once again prevailed in court over this matter.
Google Search Stories March 11
Noting how more people are buying cars online, Google is introducing a vehicle ads format in Search that shows what’s available for purchase nearby.
Google Search Stories February 22
Google adds a ‘Twosday’ Easter egg to Search in celebration of the once-in-a-lifetime date
“Twosday” is upon us. February 22, 2022 is a special date on the calendar, because its the one time we’ll see a date that acts as a complete palindrome in our lifetime, and to celebrate “Twosday,” Google has a special Easter egg in Search.
Google Search Stories February 21
Google Search dark theme goes fully black for some on the web
To date, Google’s dark themes have been more gray than the pitch/AMOLED black preferred by some. Google is now testing a completely black dark theme for Search on desktop web.
Google Search Stories February 16
The Google homepage has historically been known for providing a clean interface that primarily offers a Search field. Google Search is now testing a row of widgets on desktop web for an experience that’s similar to Discover.
Google Search Stories February 2
Google adds prominent contact info for National Domestic Violence hotline in Search
This week, Google announced a new change to Search that will put the information for the National Domestic Violence hotline in prominent locations.
Google Search Stories January 31
Google Lens today is primarily a visual lookup tool for mobile devices, but it’s been branching out to Chrome. The next expansion could see Google Search on the desktop web add Lens.
Google Search Stories January 22
Google is testing a redesign of Search’s image viewer that replaces the white or gray background with some much-needed color while rearranging other information and buttons for a less overwhelming experience.
Google Search Stories January 21
Google Search easter egg joins the fun of playing Wordle
Google Search has decided to pay tribute to the popular daily word puzzle Wordle with a new easter egg logo.
Google Search Stories January 16
In honor of Betty White, the beloved star of The Golden Girls, who passed away just before her 100th birthday, Google Search has launched a new Easter egg.
Google Search Stories December 24, 2021
Google 3D animals and objects: Which ones are available and how to use them
At its I/O conference in 2019, Google announced that it would be adding augmented reality objects to Search. Over the year since, Google has a bunch of 3D animals you can view in Google Search using AR — here’s the full list that we’re constantly updating.
Google Search Stories December 15, 2021
A week after the launch of its annual Year in Search recap video, Google is enhancing and furthering the yearly celebration with a prominent playlist on Chromecast with Google TV.
Google Search Stories December 14, 2021
Google Search is perhaps the most-used tool on the internet, and the company is always looking for ways to improve it. We’ve seen several UI tests in Search over the past couple of years, including the recent rollout of dark mode, and now Google Search is adding some slick new animations to its UI.
Google Search Stories December 8, 2021
Google’s Year in Search 2021 recap is about healing [Video]
While YouTube Rewind has been retired, Google still has its Year in Search recap, and the 2021 edition is focused on the theme of healing.
Google Search Stories December 7, 2021
Over the past few days, you might have noticed that Google.com looks slightly different when searching for news. Google’s “Top stories” carousel on the desktop website has been revamped with a new grid-based organization structure.
Google Search Stories December 5, 2021
In addition to a bottom field, the Google app is testing a Search bar that appears at the very top of your screen. It matches other first-party apps, but it is a departure from what Google Search has looked like on mobile for the past several years.
Google Search Stories December 2, 2021
Healthcare providers in Google Search, Maps can now list which insurance they accept
Over the past year, Google listings have gained more attributes and details to better let potential customers learn about a place before visiting. Google Maps, as well as Search, is now letting healthcare providers identify which insurance they accept.
Google Search Stories November 30, 2021
With the Pixel 2, the Pixel Launcher was revamped to place the search field at the bottom of your screen. Four years later, the Google app looks to be readying something similar with a bottom Search bar redesign.
Google Search Stories November 29, 2021
Google started showing 3D animals in Search last year but has since expanded to a whole host of AR objects covering space, science, and athletes. The latest expansion sees Google Search add 3D monuments.
Google Search Stories November 18, 2021
Google working to make sure food banks that aren’t online appear in Maps, Search
With a new initiative, Google is working to “expand the information about food banks and pantries in Google Search and Maps” heading into the holidays and as challenges are “compounded by the COVID-19 crisis.”
Google Search Stories November 9, 2021
In July of last year, we spotted development of an “Assistant Chat Head” that never ended up launching. Google is now working on a more useful “Search bubble” chat head that provides quick access to text and voice lookup.
Google Search Stories November 4, 2021
Google Search will rank desktop sites based on ‘page experience’ starting in February
Since August, Google has been using a “page experience” metric to determine how websites appear in mobile Search. Page experience ranking is now coming to the desktop version of Google Search from February 2022.
Google Search Stories November 3, 2021
Google Search celebrates Diwali with an easter egg [Updated]
In preparation for Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, Google Search has crafted a lamp-lighting easter egg.
