From looking up the results of last night’s cricket match to finding a late-night dhaba close by ––people from Delhi to Madurai have long turned to Google for answers, to learn about the world, and dig deeper on topics they’re passionate about. Today, we are announcing a new feed experience in the Google app for Android and iOS, making it easier than ever to discover, explore and stay connected to what matters to you—even when you don’t have a specific query in mind. This new experience will work for English and Hindi.
A smart feed that changes with you
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.
As the world and your interests change, your feed will continue to grow and evolve along with you. You’ll notice that your feed will also reflect your interest level for various topics—for example, if you’re a photography enthusiast but just casually interested in fitness, your feed will show that. But if you see something that isn’t up your alley, unfollowing topics is easy too. Just tap on a given card in your feed or visit your Google app settings.
Follow your favorites
To help you keep up with exactly what you care about, you’ll now be able to follow topics, right from Search results. Look out for a new “Follow” button next to certain types of search results—including movies, sports teams, your favorite bands or music artists, famous people, and more. A quick tap of the the follow button and you’ll start getting updates and stories about that topic in your feed.
Broader context and deeper exploration
To provide information from diverse perspectives, news stories may have multiple viewpoints from a variety of sources, as well as other related information and articles. And when available, you’ll be able to fact check and see other relevant information to help get a more holistic understanding about the topics in your feed.
We’re also making it easier to dive deeper into any of the topics you see in your feed. At the top of every card, you’ll see a header that puts your interests front and center, letting you search that topic on Google with one tap.
Get more of the stuff you care about
With these updates to the feed, it’s easier than ever to stay in the know about exactly the things you care about and see more content to inform, inspire and entertain you. You’ll spend less time and energy trying to keep up with your interests and more time enjoying and cultivating them.
The new feed experience is available in the Google app for Android (including the Pixel Launcher) and iOS, launching today in India. Just open the Google app and scroll up to get started--whether you’re a pet-loving, Arundhati Roy-reading, cricket fanatic; a Bollywood dancer and burgeoning brewmaster; or anything in between, your feed should fit your fancy.
Posted by Shashi Thakur, VP, Engineering
