Google starts featuring ‘short’ videos from TikTok and Instagram directly in Search

With the latest development by Google, the company is betting on introducing a feature that will allow users to watch Instagram and TikTok videos in a dedicated carousel in the Google app for mobile devices. The move is expected to help Google retain its users (who are in search of social video entertainment) from leaving the platform completely. Earlier this year, Google rolled it out for testing and introduced a carousel of “Short Videos” within Google Discover.

It is to note that this Short Videos carousel is not similar to Google Stories that the company introduced in October 2020. These Stories only allow Google’s online publishing partners to share short-form video content. The Short Videos carousel, on the other hand, will be focussing on pushing social videos from other platforms. These platforms also include Google’s own short-form video project Tangi along with Trell and YouTube. According to media reports, the short videos from Instagram and TikTok will also be picked and will come in search results.

So what happens when a user looks at short videos? The videos in the Short Videos row, when opened, will redirect users to the web version of the social platform, even if that app is installed in the phone. The idea is to ensure that users remain on Google platform only. Even if users press the back button, they will be taken to the page displaying the search results.

Google has been trying to work with video content for many years now and it has also partnered with Twitter (in 2015) to index search results. According to media reports, the company has not confirmed Instagram and TikTok video on short video carousel officially. The work is currently in progress and the feature is only available with limitations on the Google app for mobile devices as well as on the mobile web.