Google News is one of the most popular news aggregators on the internet. It takes the biggest news stories across a wide-range of topics — entertainment, business, sports, health, etc. — and formats them in a way that is scrollable and easy to read; its "For You" section is particularly useful as it takes stories from the websites that you most frequently visit, and then aggregates them together.
For a lot of people, Google News is one of the first — if not the first — websites they visit in the morning. And if you're one of those people, well, you could be in a for a little bit of a shock. That's because Google is rolling out a rather big update and redesign to Google News on desktop, which it claims makes it more customizable and prioritizes things like local news and fact checking.
For now, the change is optional which is always how it starts. When you go to Google News, you'll see a banner across the top of the page advertising the new look Google News. Simply click "Try it out" and you'll be transported to the new-look Google News. Eventually though, it's inevitable the new version will become the default.
The good news is that you can change it back! For now at least, which is always how it starts. While it's a virtual certainty this option will eventually be removed, here's how to get back to the old version.
How to change Google News back to the old design
- Open Google News on desktop.
- Click the Settings icon (the gear wheel) at the top of the page.
- Select Settings.
- Scroll down and uncheck the box saying "Start using the new Google News."
After deselecting this box, your Google News will revert back the old format that you are used to. You'll be able to try the new look Google News again any time you want by clicking the banner at the top of your screen.
