According to the latest information, Google is testing a new and curious feature in the mobile search app on Android. This is the ability for users to add personal notes to search results, making them visible to other users.
Testing of Notes directly in Google Search continues, with a new social feature
Google is adding the add note button next to the search results, as reported by several users. Using this button you can type text and save it as a note attached to that specific search result.
According to what some users reported on Twitter, it seems that Google has even notified how many views its public notes have obtained as if to confirm its intention to transform this feature into a sort of social network linked to search results.
At the moment it is not clear when and if the function will be officially distributed to all users. As reported on the Mountain View giant’s support page , for now it seems like a test limited to a small group of people. Furthermore, it is not known whether in the future, perhaps in conjunction with the definitive release, Google will introduce control and moderation systems on these notes, to avoid abuse or the spread of false information or violations of privacy.
Email from Google that one of my Notes is getting views. Yep, 52 views… 🙂 I just added another last night from Discover for Barry’s post about HowTo snippets returning. No views for that one yet. Such a weird experiment from Google. pic.twitter.com/Mfte7pgs5S
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) December 8, 2023
In essence, for the moment it is a curious experiment that could enrich the research experience by making it more social and participatory, but as can easily be understood it could entail risks in terms of the quality of the information and its reliability. It will be interesting to understand if Google decides to implement this feature permanently or if it will abandon it to focus on other areas of improvement of mobile search.
