Google's Discover app lets us quickly access the most important news on the topics that interest us most. This smart feed analyzes our activity to offer personalized content, although it does require an initial learning period for the algorithm to fully understand our tastes and preferences . By default, Discover uses its own built-in browser to open links, which speeds up reading but has some drawbacks.
Discover's built-in browser is efficient, but problems arise when visiting news sites with excessive advertising . In many cases, the intrusive ads prevent a smooth reading experience. The most effective solution is to switch to a browser that blocks ads when opening these links.
Simply changing the application isn't enough; we need a browser that supports ad blockers . Options like Firefox or Samsung Internet Browser are ideal, as they allow you to install specific extensions that remove annoying ads from websites.
It is crucial to remember that the vast majority of websites, including AndroidsisThey are financed through advertising. Therefore, It is recommended not to block it completely Unless it's truly intrusive. If you already have a browser with an ad blocker set up, the next step is to configure it as default browser of the system and adjust Discover.
How to change the default browser in Google Discover
To redirect Discover news to your favorite navigation app, follow these detailed steps:
- Open the Google app and tap on the image of your avatar or initial in the upper right corner.
- From the drop-down menu, select the option Settings.
- Within the settings menu, go to the section General.
- Find and turn off the switch called Open web pages in the application.
Once this option is disabled, Discover will use the default browser you have configured on your Android device, allowing you to take advantage of ad-blocking extensions.
Advanced customization of Google Discover
In addition to browser management, Google offers multiple tools to refine the content you receive and manage your privacy.
Theme, language, and font management
If you want to stop seeing news in a specific language or from a particular source, you can do so by tapping the More button (three dots) in the bottom right corner of any news card. From there, you can choose "Don't show news in" or mark the topic as " Not interested ." To retrieve content you've hidden, you can manage your preferences from your account dashboard.
Video and climate control
Videos in Discover may automatically play without sound. To adjust this, go to Settings > General > Video Previews and choose from the options: Never , Wi-Fi Only , or Mobile Data . Regarding the weather, you can tap the Weather card and then More to change the unit of measurement between Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Ad control and privacy
While you can't completely remove Discover ads, you can customize the ads you see. By tapping More within an ad, you can select Why am I seeing this ad? and turn off ads from that specific advertiser. For full control, go to Ad Settings in your Google account.
Regarding privacy, Google stores your Discover activity (cards viewed, topics marked as uninteresting, and devices used). You can review and delete this activity by accessing your Google My Activity page.
How to improve the accuracy of recommendations
For Discover to be truly useful, it's essential to enable Web & App Activity and Personal Results . This allows Google to save your browsing and search history to offer you articles that truly match your profile. You can manage this from Your data in Search within your Google profile.
If at any point you decide you don't want to receive personalized updates, you can completely disable Discover from the settings of the Google app or browser, although this option may vary depending on the region or language.
Properly configuring your browser and personalization settings transforms Discover into a powerful information tool, allowing you to browse without excessive advertising interruptions and receiving only the content that adds value to your daily life.
