Google Quietly Tests Discover On Desktop For Select Users Ahead Of I/O Conference

Google has begun quietly rolling out its Discover content feed to the desktop version of its homepage, according to user reports that surfaced over the weekend.

The feature, which has long been available on Android devices and within the Google app, now appears for select users in certain countries on desktop browsers. 

Posts on X, formerly Twitter, show the feed appearing below the main search bar, offering users a stream of personalized content, including news, sports, and weather updates.

The move follows Google’s announcement in Madrid last month that Discover would be expanded to more “surfaces,” although the company did not provide a timeline. At the time, Google suggested that further details would come later. 

Many observers expected a formal announcement at the company’s annual developer conference, Google I/O, which begins Tuesday.

Instead, the company appears to be conducting a limited test before a broader launch, potentially to gather data on user engagement and publisher performance before going public with the feature.

For digital publishers, the expansion of Discover to desktop could mark a meaningful shift. While Google dominates referral traffic globally, publishers have long complained about limited visibility and declining traffic from its core platforms. 

If the feed drives significant clicks, a wider rollout of Discover on desktop could help reverse some of that trend.

Google has not commented on the current test or whether the desktop version will be expanded to all users.

Google-parent Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) shares edged 0.4% lower in morning trade on Monday.

For the year, Alphabet’s stock has fallen nearly 13% and is down 6% over the past 12 months. 

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