Google has announced a significant update to its iOS and Android apps, introducing a new algorithm-driven feed that pushes personalized content at users. The company says that the update makes
Google has announced a significant update to its iOS and Android apps, introducing a new algorithm-driven feed that pushes personalized content at users. The company says that the update makes «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 feature, known simply as «the feed», has been around since December, but this is an important update that sees Google further leaning on the algorithms it has come to love. The feed draws on machine learning to create a personalized stream of content made up not only of news, but also videos, music and other content Google thinks may be of interest.
Google is using a number of factors to choose what content to display, and it’s not just based on search history. Just as Facebook has started to do with its newsfeed, Google’s feed is partly determined by which content is proving popular locally. Should particularly interesting content be surfaced, the app gives the option of following along so you can see more about «movies, sports teams, your favorite bands or music artists, famous people, and more.»
Writing about the feed in a blog post, Shashi Thakur, vice president of engineering at Google, says:
Continuing Google’s drive to weed out «fake news» and the like, content is fact-checked where possible, and the feed will display viewpoints from a variety of sources in the name of balance. Whether this goes against the idea of tailored content remains to be seen.
The updated version of the Google app for iOS and Android is available in the US from today, and internationally over the next couple of weeks.
