What to know

  • Google is adding social-media content (posts from X, Instagram, YouTube Shorts) into Discover.
  • Users must sign into a Google account to access the new "follow" feature for creators and publishers, allowing preview of their content before following.
  • Users will be able to preview content from those creators before following (articles, videos, social posts) to decide what they want.
  • Additional platforms will join in the future, aiming to create a unified hub for interests across sources.

Google Discover, the personalized feed in the Google app, will start including social-media posts from platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, in addition to YouTube Shorts.

Alongside that, Google is introducing a follow option so that creators and publishers can be followed directly within Discover. When a user taps a creator’s or publisher’s name, Google will show a preview of what they post (articles, social posts, videos) and let the user decide whether to follow.

The update, rolling out gradually over the coming weeks, marks Google's effort to turn Discover into a more diverse and integrated content platform by hosting social posts alongside articles and videos.

With this update, users will see posts from their favorite creators on X and Instagram, with the option to follow those creators directly within the Discover feed. The new “follow” button in the top-right corner of posts allows users to personalize the content they receive, creating a dedicated space in Discover for updates from followed publishers and creators. To use the follow feature, users must be signed into their Google account. Before following, users can preview a creator's recent posts, videos, and articles.

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This integration positions Google Discover as a more comprehensive hub for keeping up with news, social trends, and entertainment in one place, potentially reducing the need to hop between multiple apps. It also represents Google's strategic move to compete more directly with platforms like TikTok, which dominate short-form and social content consumption, especially among younger audiences. For creators and businesses, this expands visibility opportunities within Google's powerful recommendation system.

Regarding how the content is surfaced, Google has not explicitly confirmed if posts will appear in chronological order or sorted algorithmically, but Discover will remain algorithmically sorted overall. More social media platforms are expected to join the integration in the future as Google continues to refine this experience.