Google Discover now lets users choose trusted news sources

Google has expanded its "Preferred Sources" feature on the Google Discover platform globally, including Russia. The new capability allows users to mark trusted news websites, which the algorithm will then more frequently recommend. The change also affects Google's AI responses, which will prioritise the user's selected sources.

Google has expanded its "Preferred Sources" feature on the Google Discover platform globally as of spring 2026, including Russia. This means users can now themselves determine which news sources they consider trustworthy, and the algorithm will take these preferences into account when compiling recommendations.

Google's shift: from search engine to personal assistant

Over the past two years, Google has gradually transformed from a traditional search engine into an AI-powered assistant. Since mid-2024, the company has actively integrated artificial intelligence into all of its services. This transformation has not always improved information quality; the system sometimes tends to "hallucinate" and relies on unverified or even propagandistic sources.

Google Discover is a personalised news feed that has been available for nearly 10 years and works on Android and iOS devices both in the standalone Google app and in the Chrome mobile browser. The feed analyses user search queries, clicks, location, and activity on other Google platforms, including YouTube.

Why this change matters

Until recently, Google Discover's news feed was constructed entirely automatically. From 2025 onwards, Google began experimenting with a feature that allows users to add preferred sources themselves. Initially, this was available in only a few countries, but as of spring 2026, the feature has been rolled out globally.

An important addition is that selected preferred sources now also influence Google's AI responses; the chatbot will more frequently cite these sources and use them as trustworthy information sources.

According to a survey published by Mediascope in September 2025, approximately 105 million people in Russia use mobile internet, over 58% of whom use Android devices. Since Google Discover comes pre-installed by default on most Android phones, this means potentially tens of millions of people now have easier access to trusted news without installing additional apps.

How to use the feature

To add a preferred source to Google's recommendations, just two steps are required: go to Google's preferred sources page and mark your desired news site as preferred. After that, Google's algorithm will know the source is of interest to you and will show it more frequently in recommendations.

Users can view their selected sources list through their Google profile by selecting "Search personalisation" and then "Source settings". Keep in mind that it may take some time for the algorithm to adapt to new preferences.