Google is experimenting with collecting short videos from other social media sites – like TikTok and Instagram – on their Discover service.
This new feature would display a carousel of short video content on Google Discover, the personal food found on Google’s mobile app or on the home screen of some Android devices.
TechCrunch said the carousel would appear among other relevant information when users search for a specific topic.
Google noticed pulling Instagram and TikTok videos into the carousel “short videos” this morning. pic.twitter.com/iDr3C8OEAE
– Brian Freiesleben (@type_SEO) Dec. 27,2020
If the user clicked on the video, they would be taken to a web version of the social media service, not the native mobile app even if it is installed on the device.
The tech news site claimed that this would make users more likely to stay on the Google app, because pressing the button would return them back to the app, as opposed to if the user on Instagram or a native TikTok app.
Previously the short video carousel featured videos from Google’s own products like YouTube and Tangi, as well as Trell, India’s rival TikTok.
A spokesperson from Google confirmed that the feature was undergoing limited testing on mobile devices, although they declined to further discuss plans for the feature.
Facebook, parent company Instagram, and TikTok have so far not commented on whether there was a formal collaboration with Google to showcase their content.