Google is testing a new “Short videos” feature on Discover. Twitter user @chjatin115 (via 9to5Google) recently spotted that Google Discover is displaying a carousel of TikTok-esque short videos with content from apps like Trell and Tangi. While Trell is an Indian short-form video-sharing app, Tangi is a product of Google’s Area 120 project.
The contents shown on Google Discover feature a logo of the respective app at the top-left corner and the video title at the bottom. A “play” button can be seen at the center. The overflow menu lets you hide or report a clip. You can also set your interests for future recommendations from there.
On tapping the play button, the videos open in your device’s default web browser. There are controls to play, mute/unmute, and share the video, as well as a progress indicator. Contents from Trell open in an AMP link (Accelerated Mobile Pages) with a “Click here” button which lets you see more similar content. Contents from Tangi do not open in AMP links but feature a similar player UI.
Google regularly keeps adding new features to Discover. Last month, the company added a “Stories” carousel for AMP links, adding a visual appeal to articles. The “Short videos” carousel is yet another meaningful addition.
YouTube “Shorts” might feature on Google Discover
TikTok, the world’s most popular short video sharing app, has been banned in India on security grounds. The app is facing a similar fate in many other countries, including the US. This has resulted in several new and existing services trying to launch their own similar platform for short videos.
While new apps like Trell are quickly gaining popularity in India, some existing services like YouTube are also developing their own alternatives. YouTube is working on a “Shorts” product that’ll rival TikTok, which is looking for buyers in the US.
YouTube Shorts is expected to launch later this year. Contents from the platform will presumably feature on Google Discover’s newly-added “Short videos” carousel, giving them greater exposure.
Google has yet to officially announce this “Short videos” carousel on Discover, though. It appears to be in early testing as not many reports have surfaced up yet. We expect to see more on this in the coming weeks once Google begins a widespread rollout of the feature.
Discover is home to a feed of articles, news, videos, weather, sports scores, and other content that might interest you. It is the default tab in the Google app and can also be found on the left of the homescreen on several Android smartphones.
