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Google is adding some new features to its Search services that, in theory, should give users the latest information on specific subjects they are interested in. The new feature is called, appropriately enough, Follow.
Google’s blog post offers an example of how the new Follow feature will work:
Let’s say you’re training for your first half marathon, and you’ve come to Search looking for tips on getting in better running shape. Tap the “Follow” button in search results and you’ll automatically see articles and videos about marathon training on Discover, the homepage of the Google app. From Discover, you can jump right to the search results page to see more new-to-you content and perspectives related to what you follow, like a video demonstrating a training exercise.
The new feature could even send you a notification if you have them turned on if something in your Follow search lineup comes up with something major or timely. Users can also update or even delete any of their Follow search terms at any time. Google says it will access its search algorithm to find sites and information on your Follow subjects based on their “expertise, experience, authoritativeness and trustworthiness.”
The new feature will roll out over the coming weeks in the US on the Google mobile app and on both Google Chrome and Apple Safari mobile web browsers. There’s no word on when or if it will be added to desktop web users, or beyond the US.
Google is adding some other new features soon, such as searching for content made by specific people on “social media platforms, forums, and other communities” via desktop search, and also information about those creators like their social media handle, their follower count, and more.
Finally, people who are signed onto the experimental Search Labs can try out the new Notes feature. You will see a “Notes” button in search results, and you can use it to write your own notes about content that others can see. It’s available in the US on the Google mobile app and also in India, in both English and Hindi.
