Google Instant Is Dead… Did You Notice?

Users can expect a change to how Google delivers results going forward, as the search engine has killed off its ‘Instant’ feature. This feature--introduced in 2010--influenced how results were displayed, and when.

With Instant, as a user typed in their query into Google’s search bar, Google would immediately start delivering relevant results based on what was typed thus far. These were different than the search suggestions, which would appear in a drop-down below the search bar. These suggestions are reportedly here to stay.

Google’s reasoning for removing the Instant feature was simply to better focus on making search work better on the wide variety of devices that Google is now available on. According to a statement from Google:

“We launched Google Instant back in 2010 with the goal to provide users with the information they need as quickly as possible, even as they typed their searches on desktop devices. Since then, many more of our searches happen on mobile, with very different input and interaction and screen constraints.”

In essence, so many users use Google on a mobile device that Instant no longer makes sense for Google to maintain. On top of that, many use the address bar of their browser to search, which also was incompatible with Instant.

All in all, this is just another example of how businesses of all shapes and sizes have to adapt to meet the needs of their users--even Google. If a user’s experience doesn’t meet their expectations, they are apt to be unhappy and seek another outlet that meets these expectations.

What do you think about this change that Google is adopting? Will it make a difference to your browsing? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to the Horne & Benik blog!