Google Search Stories Yesterday
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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.
Google Search Stories October 27
Google is now accepting requests to remove images of minors from Search results
Announced in August as an added privacy measure, Google is now rolling out the ability for parents/legal guardians to request the removal of images of their child (minors under 18) from Google Search.
Google Search Stories October 21
Google Search adds daily word notifications on Android and iOS
After previewing bigger changes in September, Google Search is now getting a nifty little notification feature that will help you “learn a new word every day.”
Google Search Stories October 14
Following the bigger Android and iOS redesign in January, Google Search will soon adopt continuous scrolling on the mobile web.
Google Search Stories October 6
Accelerated Mobile Pages launched five years ago as Google’s plan to speed up the web on smartphones and tablets. It has wide adoption, but a bug in Google Search today sees Safari users in iOS 15 no longer being served the AMP version of sites.
Google adding dedicated ‘climate change’ Search page, EV research tools, & Shopping suggestions
In addition to new features for Maps, Nest Thermostats, and Flights, Google is going to surface more information about making sustainable choices in Search, Shopping, and Finance. This includes a dedicated Google Search results page for “climate change” and research on traffic light inefficiencies.
Google Search Stories October 1
As of today, Google Search is no longer officially supporting Internet Explorer 11, marking the beginning of the end for Microsoft’s now-ancient browser.
Outside of improving the browser’s technical underpinnings, Google has been working to make Chrome easier to use with features like Tab Groups and copy link to highlight. Chrome is now experimenting with a “Journeys” feature and Search side panel.
Google Search Stories September 29
In addition to the big MUM upgrade that lets you ask questions about a photo, Google Lens is getting more prominent on iOS and in desktop Chrome.
At Google Search On 2021, the company launched a redesign of the search results page that includes more images, suggested searches, and “Things to know” about a topic.
Google Search adding even more site context to the ‘About this result’ panel
Earlier this year, Google Search started showing “About this result” to give people more context about a website before they click. At Search On 2021, the company announced three new sections that will appear in the panel.
Google has been under fire for its dominance in online search for years, and currently, the tech giant is facing down a case in the EU over its actions. This week, however, the company is leaning on the idea that its customers want to use Google Search over alternatives, with the evidence used to support that being that the most popular search term on Bing is apparently “Google.”
Google Search Stories September 27
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.
Google Search Stories September 20
Google app gains ‘Personal results’ setting for Search on Android
Google is continuing to add more settings to the Search app on Android with a new preference to control “Personal results.”
Google Search Stories September 9
In May of last year, Google officially rolled out a night mode for the Search apps on Android and iOS. Google.com on desktop web is now officially getting its dark theme.
After initial testing in May, Google today has widely rolled out a redesign of Android’s default Weather app. Part of Google Search, the experience was overdue for a modernization.
Google Search Stories September 3
The latest version of Google Search’s integrated bookmarking feature is called “Collections.” It was last updated in early 2020, and a redesign of Collections today makes the Google app tab much more useful.
Google Search Stories September 1
Google app on Android makes it easier to control SafeSearch with ‘Hide explicit results’ setting
SafeSearch, which “filter[s] out explicit content in Google’s search results,” has been around for so long that it has entered the cultural lexicon. The Google Search app on Android is now making it easier to access with a new “Hide explicit results” settings page.
Google Search Stories August 25
Google’s latest Search improvement is a “new system of generating titles for web pages” that better describes what a result is about.
Google Search Stories August 18
Google Search bug sees missing images in ‘Top Stories,’ a fix is coming soon
To “Google something” is a household term at this point, and for many it’s a quick way to find the latest information on topics they want to know about. “Top Stories” helps tremendously with that, but currently there’s a bug with the Google tool that sees many stories mysteriously missing images.
Google Search Stories August 10
In a blog post today, Google is announcing several new online tools and changes to its various products that are designed to protect kids under the age of 18. These changes encompass Search, YouTube Kids, and much more.
Google Search Stories July 27
Following an announcement at Google I/O earlier this year, the collection of 3D objects available in Search is expanding. Available now, a bunch of athletes from the Olympics can now be viewed in 3D through Search, and Google is even advertising them in Discover.
Google Search Stories July 22
At the start of this year, Google introduced an “About this result” panel to learn about the sites that appear in Search. That feature will now tell you why you’re seeing a specific result.
Google Search Stories July 20
Google stops showing ‘AMP’ label in search results on mobile
For the past few years, Google has been pushing a technology called “AMP” that is meant to speed up the mobile web. Now that it’s been widely adopted, though, Google is removing the “AMP” icon from Search results, instead showing the mobile-optimized pages just like everything else.
Google Search Stories July 15
To complement existing auto-delete controls for Search history, Google at I/O 2021 announced a way to quickly delete your last 15 minutes of queries on the Android and iOS apps. This shortcut is rolling out now on the latter platform.
Google Search Stories July 12
Google Search app reminders appear to be broken for many users
If you like to set reminders for yourself using Google Search, then you might currently be experiencing problems as the feature is currently broken for many users.
Google Search Stories July 6
In its latest usability tweak, Google Search has rolled out a new Settings button that makes it easier to access common options from one place as the company also tests out a dark mode toggle that’s easier to access.
Google Search Stories June 25
Google has trained Search to “detect when a topic is rapidly evolving” and will now display a “changing quickly” notice when a “range of sources hasn’t yet weighed in.” It comes as information around breaking or emerging news “may not be the most reliable.”
Google Search Stories June 16
Knowledge Panels in Google Search are available for notable places, organizations, things, and people. The latter category includes journalists, with Google now showing a Knowledge Panel carousel of their published articles.
Google Search Stories June 15
Google is rolling out a new Search Console Insights tool that provides creators with an overview of how their content is performing. It’s meant to be an “easier way to understand how your content resonates with readers.”
Google Search Stories June 13
Google’s collection of 3D animals in Search also added support for these dogs and cats
Google’s 3D animals have been incredibly popular over the past couple of years, primarily thanks to a spike in enthusiasm during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The list of 3D animals and objects in Search has expanded greatly in the time since, and now it includes a lot of dogs, cats, and other house pets, too.
Google Search Stories June 8
Last year, Google started showing a search engine “choice screen” to those setting up Android devices in Europe following an antitrust ruling. Google is now updating it to include more providers and make “participation free.”
Google Search Stories June 3
With the launch of iOS 14 last year, many Google apps added support for updated homescreen widgets. The Google Search widgets are now adding nice customizable backgrounds for iPhone and iPad.
Google Search Stories June 1
Pride month is now upon us. To help honor the LGBTQ community at large, Google has added a Pride Month Easter egg that fills Search with confetti, flags, and fabulousness.
Google Search Stories May 27
At this year’s Marketing Live event, Google previewed a number of new shopping experiences that users will soon benefit from. One push for the latter part of this year is highlighting deals in Google Shopping and Search through a new results page.
Google Search Stories May 18
Google Search is a powerful tool for finding answers, and soon, it’s going to be an even better tool for trying to figure out skin conditions from home.
Google expands 3D AR objects in Search w/ athletes
At I/O 2021 Google has just announced an expansion to the collection of AR animals within Search that exploded in popularity during 2020. Now, Google 3D AR objects include some famous athletes.
In a privacy push at Google I/O 2021, the company has announced a couple of new tools that will be rolling out. First, the option to quickly delete the last 15 minutes of activity on your Google account and, second, a “Locked Folder” on Google Photos for Android.
Google Search Stories May 12
Google Search is chock-full of Easter eggs and the latest mimics the bouncing DVD screensaver that later generations most likely know from The Office (as they’ve primarily only ever used streaming devices).
Google Search Stories May 4
Star Wars Day is upon us, and to celebrate, Google has just released a new Easter egg in Search. If you hit the right page, you’ll be greeted with familiar characters and more.
Google Search Stories April 27
On iPhone and iPad, the Google app is how users access Lens, Search, and Discover. For the two latter experiences, Google has already built out a rich web experience, but the iOS Search app is now becoming even more browser-like with a grid of “Tabs.”
