Google’s Home Page May End Up Filled With Newsfeeds, Like Bing

Google’s Home Page May End Up Filled With Newsfeeds, Like Bing

Google.com is possible one of the most recognizable websites in the world – a simple white background, logo in the middle, accompanied by a strip of search box and two buttons. That’s pretty much how it went for the past two decades, but the recent test in India indicated things may change.

As spotted by MSPowerUser, the feed in Google.com’s Indian website shows the top half retaining what we know of the search UI; however, on the bottom part is where various information, such as news feed, sports scores, weather and stock information resides. That’s similar to Bing’s homepage, which should be especially familiar looking if you’re one of those who uses Microsoft Edge.

In a statement provided to The Verge, Google spokesperson Lara Levin confirmed that it is an ongoing experiment in the company’s Indian website. It’s also worth noting that the search engine’s mobile app has long included elements such as news and weather information, though that change has never officially made it into the desktop version up until this point.

However, this is not the first time Google has tested waters around a homepage beyond just the search box itself: last year (as spotted by 9to5Google), the company trialed another version of the homepage with a comparatively more simplified layout in the form of ‘cards’. The test was conducted around February and August last year, and no reports was known regarding the test ever since.

Pokdepinion: That looks quite cluttered to be honest. Not that I would notice – given that I’ve been using Omnibox (the address bar in Chrome) for years.