Google knows what you want: lots more ads in its apps

Google ads
Image credit: Shutterstock

Google has announced something that'll bring a sigh of annoyance to anyone who uses its mobile apps: a raft of new and exciting ads.

According to The Verge, these will include 'gallery' ads, which you can scroll through (think the shopping ads on Facebook that present all kinds of products you didn't know you didn't want), ads on Google's mobile homepage, and ads interspersed between news stories in the Discover feed. 

YouTube will get some attention too, with new ads slipped in between recommended videos.

These new ads are only destined for mobile screens and are only being rolled out in a few locations for the time being, but if you're one of the 'lucky' few chosen for testing, you'll definitely notice.

May I have your attention please...

So far, much of Google's advertising is text-based, but the company says gallery ads will become widespread later this year.

It's in keeping with the more visual nature of Google search results, which now include thumbnails of movie posters, game covers, actors and musicians when you search for something related.

Unlike Facebook's gallery ads, Google's efforts are also likely to be relevant to your interests, rather than strange recommendations for water bottles, cat carriers and rain ponchos. So that's a plus.

TOPICS
Cat Ellis
Homes Editor

Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, and is here to help you choose the right devices for your home and do more with them. When not working she's a keen home baker, and makes a pretty mean macaron.

Latest in Websites & Apps
Twitter social media application change logo to X. Elon Musk CEO of twitter rebranded Twitter to 'X'. Social media application technology concept.
X is back – here's what we know about the 'massive cyberattack' that caused Twitter to go down four times today
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 11 (game #1142)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 11 (game #373)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 10 (game #1141)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 10 (game #372)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 9 (game #1140)
Latest in News
Apple's Craig Federighi demonstrates the iPhone Mirroring feature of macOS Sequoia at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.
Report: iOS 19 and macOS 16 could mark their biggest design overhaul in years – and we have one request
Google Gemini Calendar
Gemini is coming to Google Calendar, here’s how it will work and how to try it now
Lego Mario Kart – Mario & Standard Kart set on a shelf.
Lego just celebrated Mario Day in the best way possible, with an incredible Mario Kart set that's up for preorder now
TCL QM7K TV on orange background
TCL’s big, bright new mid-range mini-LED TVs have built-in Bang & Olufsen sound
Apple iPhone 16e
Which affordable phone wins the mid-range race: the iPhone 16e, Nothing 3a, or Samsung Galaxy A56? Our latest podcast tells all
Homepage of Manus, a new Chinese artificial intelligence agent capable of handling complex, real-world tasks, is seen on the screen of an iPhone.
Manus AI may be the new DeepSeek, but initial users report problems