One of the most familiar places on the internet is the Google homepage. When you go there, all you see is a search box and nothing else. However, this may be changing, since some Google.com customers have seen major variations.
The discrepancy was initially noticed by 9To5Google, and it appears to be limited to Google’s desktop homepage. It contains a number of widgets or cards on the bottom of the screen that provide you with important information, as well as the typical search box you’ve come to expect.
Google appears to be testing this new homepage out, as most people still see the standard search box with nothing else (myself included). However, for those who do have the new homepage, they’ll see widgets for Weather, Trending, What to Watch, Stocks/markets, Local Events, and COVID news.
Since none of the widgets appear to be obtrusive, you can safely ignore them and search for whatever you like. On the bottom of the screen, there’s also a “Hide content” button that allows you hide the widgets and see a pure Google search screen.
Considering Google hasn’t officially stated anything, it’s unclear whether this will be a widely used homepage. We’ll have to wait and watch if Google’s new homepage is rolled out more widely as time goes on.
References:
https://wingo-7.com/technology/googlecom-tests-a-busier-homepage-with-a-row-of-info-cards-ars-technica
https://www.howtogeek.com/787400/google-is-testing-huge-changes-to-its-home-page/