Google now lets you hide ads in Search but only after you scroll past them

Google

Google is changing the way it displays ads in Search, rolling out a new design that groups all sponsored links under one clear section marked “Sponsored.” Instead of labelling each ad individually, Google will now keep the tag visible as you scroll, while offering a “Hide sponsored results” button at the bottom of that section.

Tap it, and the ads collapse into a single bar that stays tucked away until you choose to view them again. The change is coming to both desktop and mobile versions of Google Search.

While Google claims the redesign “makes navigation even easier,” critics argue it’s a subtle way to make users scroll through paid listings before reaching organic results. Over the years, Google’s ads have increasingly mimicked regular results — from dropping distinct colour backgrounds to swapping the “Ad” label for a softer “Sponsored” tag back in 2020.

This latest tweak might look like a nod to user control, but it’s hard to ignore the commercial logic behind it. After all, letting users skip ads before seeing them would cut right into Google’s most profitable business.