Google Search

Apple launched its latest mobile OS on Wednesday and app developers are in the process of supporting the latest features. Google has two iOS 14 updates ready with a Search widget and Chrome browser default, while it’s readying a third.
Expand Expanding CloseWhile the usual way for Google to celebrate or commemorate a bit of culture is to give it a homepage Google Doodle, sometimes the company will put longer-lasting easter eggs for specific search terms. The latest easter egg in Google Search gives you a 90s throwback to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s 3D animals have become a popular way to have fun at home and take goofy photos to share with friends. Google is preparing to expand their roster of 3D animals, including more breeds of cats and dogs, as well as a mythical creature, the unicorn.
Expand Expanding CloseA bug with Google.com and/or Chrome today sees queries entered through the browser’s address bar return the mobile Search results page.
Expand Expanding CloseTwo key parts make up the life-sized creatures that appear in Google Search. The first lets you see animals in 3D, while the second — and most delightful — is viewing them in your current space with the ability to take pictures. Here’s what iOS and Android devices support Google 3D animals.
Google is conducting a test on mobile that sees some Search results be accompanied by a very prominent top portion. These Google Search background headers are specifically tied to queries for “ideas” on mobile.
Expand Expanding CloseLast year, Google introduced activity cards to quickly return to past queries and page visits. Google Search is now optimizing activity cards for jobs, recipes, and online shopping.
Expand Expanding CloseOver the past several months, the Australian government has been preparing legislation to force Google (and Facebook) to pay local publishers for content that appears in Search and News. The tech companies have come out against this proposal, and Google today is directly appealing to its Australian users in an open letter.
Expand Expanding Close“What to watch” is a perennially asked question that often results in long bouts of browsing instead of actual viewing. Asking that query to Google Search will now recommend what’s currently on TV, while sporting results will now include live watch options.
Expand Expanding CloseIn recent months, Google has rolled out a number of tools and initiatives to help SMBs navigate the lack of in-person business and come online. The latest makes it easier for them to update Business Profiles directly from Google Maps and Search.
Expand Expanding CloseNoting a summer uptick in people looking for “places to go on vacation,” Google is providing travel trendlines and other information when you search for hotels and flights. It’s meant to “help you make travel decisions with confidence.”
Expand Expanding CloseWe’re well into August, which means the school year is growing ever closer to beginning while many of us are still stuck at home. To help us learn chemistry, Google Search has added a variety of new 3D models showing how certain molecules are formed.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle People Cards — which are essentially virtual business cards — have now started appearing in Google Search in India.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube Music in recent weeks has seen a spurt of new features from a revamped Now Playing screen to cloud library uploads. A related change now sees Google link to YouTube Music when you’re searching for albums.
Expand Expanding CloseOver the years, Google Search has had a variety of easter eggs, things like “Do a barrel roll” or “what does the fox say.” The latest Google Search easter egg pays tribute to the Cha Cha Slide for the song’s 20th anniversary.
Expand Expanding CloseMicrosoft’s Chromium-based Edge browser has exploded in popularity since its debut, and further updates have only improved it. In a recent update, though, many users noticed that a simple Google search could crash Microsoft Edge. Luckily, that’s been fixed.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Search has ads that are often useful to customers, but it’s understandable that many are frustrated by them given how much dominance they can have over certain queries. Now, Google is testing bigger ad formats in Search.
Expand Expanding CloseOne unfortunate effect of the coronavirus pandemic, especially in the US, has been the loss of employment for millions of people. Given the current circumstances, many are looking for work-from-home jobs, and now Google is trying to improve the visibility of those positions.
Expand Expanding CloseAmid COVID-19 stay at home orders, people earlier this year discovered 3D Animals in Google Search. From educational uses to viral moments, the company has been adding more in recent months. The latest Google 3D Animals are insects complete with realistic sound effects.
Expand Expanding CloseAlongside many Google search terms, you’ll find a row of “Top Stories” with news articles from various online publications. Now, Google is upgrading that section with a new “For Context” section on “Top Stories” articles.
Expand Expanding CloseWith smartphone browsing so much more common in this day and age, Google wants Search results to reflect that reality. Google announced in March that the search engine would switch to mobile-first indexing this September, but that’s now being delayed until March 2021.
Expand Expanding CloseIn recent years, Google has worked to directly surface answers to popular questions as the first result. Google Search now has a Knowledge Panel to explain the US mortgage process and provide useful tools.
Expand Expanding CloseYesterday, Twitter suffered a severe compromise which resulted in the accounts of high profile individuals — from Elon Musk and Kanye West to Apple and Joe Biden — sharing a scam request for Bitcoin in exchange for free Bitcoin. It appears Google responded swiftly by demoting Twitter-related results in Search and those results have yet to return as of this writing.
Expand Expanding CloseThis year, the neat trick of viewing animals in 3D via Google Search exploded in popularity, and in the time since, Google has massively expanded the list of objects and creatures people can view. Today, Google has announced that you’ll be able to view 3D dinosaurs through Search.