On 19th June, Google introduced its News Feed – a personalized version of articles, videos, and other content.
The new feature draws its data from posts that you choose to follow and from items in your search history.
The feed is designed so that Google’s app can be used for searching as well as for browsing. Google hopes its app will be used by users for quick hits of information as reflexively as Twitter or Facebook.
Google Now Replaced by the Feed
The space below the search bar was previously occupied by Google Now – a search feature – which displayed personalized weather, traffic, sports scores, and other information.
This area is now occupied by a stream of cards with information of your interest.
Google says its strength is that it can dig through long streams of articles to find exactly what its viewers need. It says that unlike Facebook and Twitter, its focus wouldn’t be merely to update its users with the trending articles, individual posts will be prioritized according to their relevance.
Features
With its new feature, Google aims to update the user with information relevant to them and enhance their overall experience of using the app.
The features it offers are:
- When you perform a search, an option to “follow” will appear under the search results.
- You can customize your feed by tapping on the three dots on top of each card and then choosing to follow a topic.
- In case, you no longer want to follow a story you can choose to be “done with the story” and you won’t be further updated regarding the story.
- You can also choose to not see articles from certain publishers.
Low on Video?
One surprising feature of the Google feed is how it is mostly text-based and uses very little video content at a time when users crave as much video in their content as possible.
Also, the clumsy arrangement of the cards makes it difficult to figure out if it’s a video or something else.
Google has not included any ads (as of now) in its feed but with the new style it seems all but inevitable.
It’s Amazing