Google is reportedly testing a new mobile search feature which will pop up TikTok and Instagram videos in their own dedicated carousel – the search giant’s apparent response to a growing appetite for short-form video content.
The new feature will be extended to a test feature introduced by Google earlier this year, which has a carousel of ‘Short Videos’ in the personalized Google Discover tab. While the original version of the feature focused on the collection of videos from Google platforms such as YouTube and the short-lived video project Tangi, Instagram and TikTok content will reportedly be included in the update.
The move was probably designed to help Google maintain usagers who just want to make their eyes glare and see a cat in pajama pants for a few minutes as an excuse to stop feeling for a while – ie. everyone. When a user clicks on a short video in the carousel, it will be sent to a web version of its original platform, rather than being transported to the appropriate app, which means users are more likely to press the back button and return to Google as falling into an endless scroll.
A Google spokesperson confirmed TechCrunch that the feature is currently being tested on mobile devices, but said that the carousel is still at an early stage and has not yet appeared next to every search query.
The new “Short Videos” carousel is still completely separate from the “Stories” feature that Google introduced in October 2020 for its Search app for iOS and Android. Formerly known as “AMP Stories”, the Stories consist of content compiled by a short list of Google’s digital publishing partners, which includes Forbes, USA Today, Vice, Now This, Bustle, Thrillist and others.
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