At the I/O 2024 developer conference on May 14, Google unveiled numerous new features and updates. One particularly noteworthy update is for Google Search, which is going back to its roots with a new ‘Web’ filter. Remember when Search used to display only text-based links that were relevant? Google is reintroducing that concept with this new feature.
Google Search liaison Danny Sullivan announced this new filter, which is set to enhance the search experience. Although I haven’t personally accessed the feature yet, early reports are promising.
According to Sullivan’s post, the ‘Web’ filter will appear at the top of your search results page, alongside other filters like News, Videos, and Shopping. Some users will see the ‘News’ filter immediately, while others may need to click on More -> Web to access it.
Once activated, the Web filter ensures that your Search Results page includes only text-based web links (along with ads). This means everything from shopping panels to discussions and YouTube videos panels will be blocked out.
The new Web filter is particularly effective at blocking AI Overviews (previously known as Search Generative Experience). Google Spokesperson Ned Adriance confirmed to The Verge that,
“AI Overviews are a feature in Search, just like a knowledge panel or a featured snippet, so they will not appear when someone uses the web filter for a search.”
While the feature doesn’t eliminate Google’s bias towards its own website links, it does remove other irrelevant content, providing a cleaner Search experience. The Verge’s Sean Hollister tested the feature and found it to be promising.
This update is timely, especially since AI Overviews are now available to everyone in the US. Additionally, Google Chrome’s new Gemini Nano integration promises to enhance your desktop browsing experience even further once it’s publicly released.
Count me in for this AI opt-out feature (kind of) in Google Search. I really miss the user experience we used to have, free from irrelevant content bombarding us all the time. How about you? Are you looking forward to browsing with this new Google Search Web filter? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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