The Google Feed

Google I/O 2012 saw the introduction of Google Now, a contextual service that provides relevant information based on content, location, and other data from Google properties proactively. Google Now included a voice-assistant that was the primary competitor to Siri at the time. Google even described the service as the future of search. Fast forward to today and Google is now killing the Google Now brand in favor of the Google Feed.

Last December, Google introduced a trial run of the feed to a limited subset of users. Today the rollout begins for the rest of the US. International users will need to wait a few weeks to see the feed appear in the Google app.

The feed has two tabs, one for topics of interest, and the other for personal content like updates, travel information, and weather, etc. Google will base your topics of interest on content and topics that you regularly search for and others that you follow. You can follow a TV show, and content updates for that show will appear in your feed.

The personal tab is very much like what we knew as Google Now. Updates for everything from package delivery to meetings, and traffic recommendations will appear here. The more Google properties you use, the more data that will appear.

The feed that Google rolls out will feature richer content and more control than the previous feed, giving users more options and a better experience. As more users go mobile, Google is positioning the app as a location, rather than losing out to other browsers.