Google Discover is getting more social with X, Instagram and YouTube Shorts integration

Google Discover

Google is reshaping its Discover feed inside the Google app, turning it into a social-first hub that pulls in content from X, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts — not just traditional news links.

Why it matters:

People now consume information as a mix of articles, videos, and social posts spread across platforms. Google wants Discover to be the single place where it all comes together.

What’s new:

• In the coming weeks, Discover will show posts and videos from social platforms alongside publisher articles.
• Users can now follow publishers and creators directly in Discover to see more of their work in a dedicated feed.
• This builds on recent Search updates that let users pick preferred news sources in Top Stories.

Google isn’t trying to replace Instagram or X, but by aggregating multiple platforms into one personalized feed, it could become a default starting point for daily news and entertainment.

Between the lines:

For publishers and creators, this update means more visibility inside Google’s ecosystem — and potentially more engagement — without relying entirely on social networks’ algorithms.

What to watch:

If users embrace the mix of news and social updates, Discover could evolve into a powerful traffic driver rivaling standalone platforms.