Google Discover adds social media posts from X and Instagram, new follow feature

Google is expanding its Discover feed to include social media posts from X and Instagram alongside YouTube Shorts, marking a significant shift toward aggregating content from multiple platforms in one location.The new feature will roll out in the coming weeks, allowing users to see posts from social platforms mixed with traditional web articles in their personalized Discover feed. Google plans to add more platforms in the future beyond the initial X and Instagram integration.Google is also introducing a "Follow" feature that lets users subscribe to specific publishers and creators to see more of their content. When users tap on a creator's name, they can preview their articles, YouTube videos, and social posts before deciding to follow them. The feature requires users to sign into their Google account and began rolling out Tuesday.The Discover feed, which appears on the Google app's home screen, serves personalized content based on users' web activity. Previously, users could only reduce unwanted content by selecting "See less content like this" or "Not interested in [topic]."The expansion comes after Google's research found that "people told us they enjoyed seeing a mix of content in Discover, including videos and social posts, in addition to articles." The company has been testing social media integration since April 2025.This update follows Google's recent addition of preferred news sources in Search's Top Stories carousel.