Google Now, the virtual assistant that lives inside Android phones and the Google Search app, is about to get more personal with you. A new feature discovered by Android Police will have Google Now asking what you’re interested in so it can deliver more of the content you care about.
An experimental feature called “Explore Interests” appears to show six categories from which a user can identify their interests: Sports, TV, Movies, Musicians, People, and Stocks. Within those categories you can get more specific with your interests by selecting favorite sports teams, favorite musicians, and so on.
When there’s new information about specific interests you selected, Google will deliver it in the form of a Google Now card. Theoretically you can have all the content you’re interested in delivered to you without you having to search for it.
The Android Police team notes that this update to Google Now is rolling out slowly, which is understandable considering it’s an experimental feature. According to TechCrunch, a Google spokesperson has confirmed the company is working on this feature, but has nothing further to say at this time.
With Google’s voice assistant on the horizon, the test of the new ‘Explore Interests’ feature is also an opportunity for Google to improve its machine learning capabilities with respect to learning what a user likes and doesn’t like. When this feature will roll out to more Android devices remains to be seen, according to the TechCrunch article it sounds as though Google is refining the design elements before rolling it out further.
