Google's Main App For Android, iOS Now Comes With Its Own News Feed

Google has updated its main search app for iOS and Android devices by adding a Facebook-like news feed. The Google app will now be able to present the latest news, weather and sports scores that are relevant to the user.

“People have long turned to Google to get answers, learn about the world, and dig deeper on topics they’re passionate about,” Google said in a blog post. “Today, we are announcing a new feed experience in the Google app, making it easier than ever to discover, explore and stay connected to what matters to you—even when you don’t have a query in mind.”

The Google app’s newsfeed was actually first introduced back in December 2016 as a preview for Android users. The company says it has now been able to further advanced its machine learning algorithms so that the new feed would always show content that’s interesting and relevant to the user.

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“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. The more you use Google, the better your feed will be.”

The Google app’s feed will also keep changing depending on how people use it. For example, if a user is interested in photography and always searches for stuff that’s related to that topic, the Google feed will soon be able to show news and stories on that specific topic. The app is able to do this through the user's search history.

The great thing here is that users also have control over what they see on the feed. If they see a news story that’s not relevant to them, they can simply dismiss a card on their feed by tapping it. Users can also completely unfollow topics by going to the Google app settings.

Speaking of topics, users will be able to follow specific topics. Users should see a new “Follow” button on topics right from the search results. For example, if users search for the TV show “Stranger Things,” a blue card from the search result should show the new Follow button. This feature should work for movies, sports teams, bands/musicians, celebrities and more.

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By following specific topics, the Google app will now be able to keep delivering updates and stories that are relevant to what users want to see on their feed.

The Google app’s feed is also able to provide broader context. This simply means that the app will be able to show users multiple viewpoints or sources of a particular story. The idea behind this is that users will be able to easily fact check the news that they see on the feed by showing them other relevant stories from different sources.

At the bottom of a news story, users should see the “Related Story” section. Users will simply be able to scroll horizontally to view other stories that are directly related to a news article.

Broader context on the Google app is also applicable on other topics. For example, if a user searches for a movie, the Google search results will also show the movie’s trailer, latest reviews and local theater schedules, as pointed out by Engadget. This feature also works in sports. Instead of simply showing the latests scores, search results will also show videos that are related to a certain game.

“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.” — Google

The new feed for the main Google app is now available for iOS and Android device users in the United States. The feature should also hit other countries “in the next couple of weeks.”