Google Tests Long-Awaited Discover Integration On Desktop Search

Summary: Google has begun testing the Discover feed on desktop Search, confirming that the feature is coming at an event this week. Discover is already available on Android and iOS mobile devices.

If there’s one feature Google Search on desktop seems to be lacking, it’s the Google Discover feed. If you use an Android device, you should be familiar with Google Discover.

On most phones these days, you access it simply by swiping right on the main home screen. It’s a personalized feed of news and articles, and other similar content, based on categories or topics you enjoy. Mine, for example, includes a whole lot about gaming-related news. There’s also the occasional snippet about movies or TV shows, and some general tech.

The nice thing about Discover is that it’s always there, ready to serve you up information. However, it’s been surprisingly absent from Google’s desktop Search experience, even after being available on mobile devices for so long. That is apparently changing soon, with Google having confirmed at Search Central Live that Discover will make the jump to desktop Search.

Google Discover is already available on desktop Search for some

Google hasn’t confirmed when the feature is going live for all users, but it appears that the rollout has started for some. As noted by Android Police, some users have already reported getting access. As per the report, if it’s available for you, there will be a prompt in the bottom right corner of the Google Search home page that states there’s “a new way to explore your interests.”

Through the prompt, Google also confirms that Discover is being added to the home page for those who have access “as an experiment.” This suggests that Google is doing light public testing of the feature, but may not be ready to roll it out completely.

Google has been testing this for years

While Google hasn’t confirmed when this feature goes live, it’s apparently been in testing for quite some time. According to Search Engine Roundtable, Google has already spent years testing this desktop version of Discover. Though it’s not quite clear how many.

Since Discover is already tied to your Google account, the feed should be the same on desktop Search as long as you’re logged in with the same account. It’s also unclear what Google is using to determine who to push the feature to.