Mountain View: Google is reportedly developing a new feature for its Google Search app on Android that aims to streamline the discovery of short video content across various platforms.
The feature, dubbed Short Videos filter, is said to aggregate content from platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and others into one easily accessible space within the search app.
While it remains uncertain when or if this feature will be globally released, reports suggest that it could offer users a convenient way to explore short-form videos.
The discovery of this feature was reported by PiunikaWeb (via AssembleDebug), which noted its appearance within the latest version of the Google Search app for Android. Positioned alongside the Images filter at the top of the search results page, the Short Videos filter aims to curate and organize publicly available short video content from various platforms.
Although the feature was observed in the app, clicking on it did not yield any results, and the filter disappeared. This suggests that the feature may still be in the experimental stage and not yet fully functional. However, as Google often tests numerous features, not all of them ultimately become part of the official release.
This is not the first time Google has ventured into making short videos more accessible to users. In 2020, reports surfaced about Google testing a dedicated carousel on Android to showcase Short Videos based on searched keywords. However, this feature never materialized into a public release.
Currently, users searching for short videos on Google often need to specify the platform in their search query, leading to a fragmented experience. If the Short Videos filter is implemented, it could simplify the process by allowing users to search for videos on any topic across all platforms with a single keyword entry.
In addition to the Short Videos filter, Google is also reportedly working on a toggle feature to switch between Google Search and Gemini AI. This toggle will enable users to access the Gemini AI interface, where they can interact with a chatbot to generate content and perform chatbot-specific tasks. The feature is expected to roll out globally in the coming weeks.