Add sources, locations, and topics you want to track in Google News (and hide those you don’t want to show) for a free, reliable way to add global news.
As a news aggregator, Google News displays stories from thousands of sources around the world. Provides a free and effective way to get an overview of news from the sources, locations and topics you follow. Google News can blend in nicely with the existing news you follow, as you can set it to include stories you wouldn’t otherwise find.
To get started, you can access Google News on the Webor you can install the Google News app on Android, iOS or iPadOS devices. If you sign in to Google News with your Google account, you will be able to fully configure and customize all the options detailed below. However, you can also choose to use Google News without an account and the system will display the most important news for the detected language and region.
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How to add sources, locations or topics in Google News
In Google News, the search box, accessed by the magnifying glass icon, allows you to search for sources, locations, and topics. Follow these steps to add sources, locations, and topics in Google News (Figure A).
- Enter the name of a news source, location or topic in the Google News search box.
- From the results, items will be displayed with a source, location, or subject designation below the name.
- Select the Follow (or star) button to add the item as a source, location, or followed topic.
- Repeat the process for each news source, location, or topic you want to track in Google News.
Figure A
Use the Next tab
After adding topics, locations, or sources, use the Following tab to access stories: select Following, then click (or tap) the topic, location, or source. For example, if you follow artificial intelligence as a topic, select Following | Artificial Intelligence for a set of recent and relevant stories.
Sources
In my opinion, a healthy media diet consists not only of sources relevant to you, such as local newspapers and major media outlets, but also credible sources that provide a global perspective. Supplement them with other sources that consistently provide you value. For example, you could add TechRepublic as a source for tech news (Figure A).
Locations
I recommend adding locations to track stories relevant to the places you live, work, or study. You can also add locations of colleagues, family or friends, to stay up to date with stories that affect their lives.
Topics
Topics are broad terms that can consist of a topic, industry, or company, such as artificial intelligence, education, or Google.
After selecting the topics you want to follow, be sure to review the results. For example, consider searches for BBC, Washington, and Silicon Valley, each of which returns at least two different results, as shown below.
- BBC News — source (BBC stories) vs. BBC News — topic (stories about the BBC).
- Washington — location (DC area stories) vs. Washington — theme (Pacific Northwest state stories).
- Silicon Valley — topic (stories from the tech sector) versus Silicon Valley — source (stories from the local community).
How to manage topics, locations and sources in Google News
You can adjust the priority or unfollow a topic, location, or source in Google News.
- Go to Google News.
- Select Next.
- Scroll to the topics, locations, or sources section.
- Mobile app only:
- Android: Tap Library, then View All & Manage in the desired section.
- iOS/iPadOS: Tap See all & manage in the desired section.
- To the right of any theme, font, or location, select the three-dot menu to view management options (Figure B).
Figure B
- Select any of the move options (i.e. Move Up, Move Up, Move Down, Move Down) to adjust the priority. Select a removal option (i.e. Remove from Library or Unfollow this feed) to deselect it as a followed item.
SEE: How to stop following a location on Google News (TechRepublic video)
What does the Full Coverage button do in Google News?
The Full Coverage button in Google News connects you to a page that shows a wide range of coverage (Figure C). Click or tap the Full Coverage button when you want to explore multiple articles related to a story.
A complete Coverage page typically includes:
- Stories from sources other than the ones you selected.
- Related articles in a section For context.
- Posts from X, formerly known as Twitter.
- Frequent questions.
- A long list of even more articles on the topic from other sources.
Figure C
How to Tweak Google News and Hide Unwanted News Sources
If you want to adjust or hide unwanted feeds in Google News, select the three-dot menu to the right of a story. While not all options are available for all items, the most common ones include (Figure D):
- Bookmark: Save for later
- Share
- Go to (source name)
- Hide all stories from (source name)
- Thumbs up: more stories like this
- Thumbs down: fewer stories like this
Figure D
Selective settings: receive email and add a language
Google News on Android and iOS/iPadOS lets you manage language and email settings. Tap your profile photo (top right) | News settings (Figure Eleft and center left) to review and explore options.
Figure E
Adjust the slider next to the Daily Summary Emails option (Figure E, center right) to receive an email with some featured stories in your Gmail inbox. To read a featured article, click or tap it and the system will connect you through Google News.
You can also choose to select a second language within Google News (Figure E, center right and right). To do this, go to News Settings | Languages and regions of interest | Add a language and region, then select an option from the list.
As with other settings, this preference will influence the content displayed. For example, you can add Spanish (United States) if you want to access stories in Spanish in the US. At most, you can have two languages set: one primary and one secondary.
Mention me or send me a message on Mastodon (@awolber) to let me know if you use Google News or if you prefer other options.
