Google tests a feature that could send you down an internet rabbit hole

Google tested this web feature out in 2017 but dropped it rather than roll it out to the public.

What you need to know

• Google is testing a ‘People also read’ feature in the in-app browser for Android.
• It recommends related news articles to viewers in a manner that’s not unlike YouTube’s endless autoplay.
• A similar feature was tested in 2017, but Google later dropped it.

Google is testing a new feature for its in-app browser that’ll make you stick around for longer. According to 9to5Google, the company has started testing out a “People also view” section in the Android in-app browser. To be clear, that’s the view you see when opening a link inside the Google app or via Google Discover. If you have this feature and are viewing a news article just like this one, you’ll be able to swipe up from the bottom bar and scroll to see a number of news articles or videos that are related to the article you just read.

It’s a lot like the ‘also watched’ section in the YouTube app, albeit aimed at news junkies rather than video viewers, but it’s not precisely clear if or when Google will roll it out to more users. As of the time of writing, it’s available to select beta testers of the Google app, likely as part of server-side test.

The update will come with an overall design of the in-app browser, complete with a bottom oriented navigation bar and its own dedicated browser settings separate from Chrome or another default browser. There are also buttons to share, find in page, and more. The biggest thing is the lack of an address bar for self-guided navigation, but Google figures you’d probably just use one of the many Android browsers for that.

Would you use this feature if it rolls out on your Android phone? Let us know in the comments below.