Google Now testing “Explore Interests” feature to make personal assistant app more personalized

TechCrunch reports the new feature aims to give Google Now users more control over the information Google tracks on their behalf.

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According to TechCrunch, Google is testing a new “Explore Interests” feature for Google Now that will make it easier for users to control the information displayed via the mobile assistant app — as well as information a user may not want tracked.

“It will give users more control over what sort of information Google will track on your behalf, and will make it easier to tell Google exactly what sort of information you want to hear more about,” writes TechCrunch reporter Sarah Perez, noting the feature was first reported yesterday by the Android Police blog.

The Android Police story included screen shots of the new feature, showing six categories — sports, TV, movies, musicians, people and stocks — where users can select specific topics they are interested in seeing.

Google now explore interests

The Android Police blog says each category listed in the “Explore Interests” feature includes several topics that can be tracked: “Each of these have different things that can be added, meaning if anything happens to that specific interest, it will pop up in Google Now as a new card.”

Image credit: Android Police.


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Amy Gesenhues
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Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Search Engine Land, MarTech and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.

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