Google.com could be about to undergo its biggest change in years

There are some significant changes being tested on Google.com. A major focus on news could on the horizon as Google explores adding a Google Discover-style newsfeed to its search engine homepage.

Google Discover is something that will be familiar to many mobile users, offering up an algorithm-driven personalized selection of news stories. Now very much the same feature is being tested for desktop users.

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Google.com has been famously spartan for many years, featuring a simple search field and little else. But now Google has been spotted testing adding news and other content to the page, all based on a user’s web activity.

A small group of users has -- MSPoweruser notes -- been given access to an updated version of the page which includes the Discover feed beneath the familiar search box. If the test ends up rolling out on a larger scale, it is a move that would mark a major change of direction for Google.com. It would mean that the once minimalist page would become incredibly busy, and at the moment it seems that there is no option to disable the feed.

For now, it appears that the testing is limited to India, but it could extend to other parts of the world based on the feedback Google receives.

Image credit: MSPoweruser