Since the early 2000s, Google has been reinventing how we search for information on the internet. The tech behemoth accounts for about 90% of all search engine traffic, providing users with personalized search results. Most people will find this useful, however there may be instances when you wish to get more generic search results. It is also useful for individuals or academics seeking an unbiased search experience, as well as shoppers wishing to compare products.
The search giant is now adding a new button at the bottom of the search results page called “Try without personalization,” which when clicked will provide search results similar to those seen in incognito mode or when you are not logged in to Google.
Google spokesperson Ned Adriance told The Verge that “this change makes it simpler for people to gain a precise grasp of whether their outcomes have been customized while simultaneously offering them the opportunity to examine non-personalized results.” The publication also reported that the option to disable personalized search results was displayed more frequently on their smartphone than on the desktop version. Furthermore, this link may not appear for all search queries.
For those unfamiliar, the feature was previously concealed in the “About this result” button area of each search result. The new button also allows users to view results without personalization while not permanently changing their search preferences.