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Google search tool lets you do Tinder-style swiping to find the best movies

Swiping left and right on movies and TV shows will bring up personalised recommendations for what to watch

Anthony Cuthbertson

Friday 06 September 2019 13:10 BST

A new Google Search tool lets users swipe left and right to find the best movies and tv shows (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Google has introduced a new Tinder-style tool that lets users search for TV shows and movies in the same way they would look for a potential dating match.

The search giant developed the new feature to make it easier for people to find what they want to watch when faced with a vast selection of content across multiple streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

"It's not always easy to choose from all the options out there," Matt Sheets, a product manager at Google Search, wrote in a blog post introducing the new tool.

"If you're like me, you have a few different streaming subscriptions, and you might find yourself spending more time browsing across multiple apps than actually watching a major movie or TV show. That's why we created an easy way for you to find recommendations on Google."

The new search feature is currently only available for US users, though if successful it will likely roll out to the UK and other markets in the coming months.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

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1/1111 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Easter Eggs

There are a lot of Easter Eggs hidden in Chrome, and more and more are discovered each year. One of our favourites is the dinosaur game. The next time you fail to connect to the internet on Chrome, tap the spacebar. It’s also worth Googling “barrel roll”, “zerg rush”, “super mario bros” (and clicking the question mark graphic), “festivus”, “recursion”, “askew” and “atari breakout” (and then clicking Images).

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Pin tabs

If you tend to browse with a lot of tabs open at once, you can clear up the clutter by pinning the ones you’re least likely to close. Right-click them and select Pin Tab. They’ll automatically shrink and slide left.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Save battery

You can save some battery life by sacrificing performance. In Settings, scroll down to the System section and uncheck the box reading Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed. We wouldn’t recommend having this feature enabled all the time, but it could come in handy if you’re nowhere near a charger.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Browse faster

There are loads of Chrome Extensions available, but one of the most useful is Google’s Data Saver. It compresses the pages you visit to reduce data usage and speed up loading times.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Make multiple profiles

If you use multiple Google accounts, for work and for personal use, for instance, you can keep your bookmarks and browsing history for each account separate by creating individual profiles. Go to Settings, Manage People and Add Person. This is also handy for when you lend your computer to a friend, and you don’t want them to have access to your internet history.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Downloads

Many users would prefer it if Chrome downloaded files straight to the desktop, but by default it sends them to your Downloads folder. You can change this by going to Settings, opening the Show Advanced Settings menu, clicking Downloads and choosing your preferred destination.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Extra info

To see cookies and permissions for every site you visit, click the View Site Information symbol on the left-hand edge of the omnibar. It will also let you quickly control things like Popup and Location settings.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Task manager

You can quickly find out which pages are using up the most memory and slowing down your browsing experience by opening the burger menu, going down to More Tools and opening the Chrome Task Manager.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Calculator

When you’re online and need to do a quick sum, you don’t have to hunt down your computer calculator or whip out your phone. Just type it into the Chrome omnibar and hit Enter.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Startup

If there’s a certain set of pages you always open when you turn your computer on, you can get Chrome to open them automatically when you launch the browser. In Settings, click Set Pages in the On Startup section, and choose the ones you want.

11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed

Search Gmail from omnibar

You can search your gmail inbox directly from the omnibar by going to Settings, Manage Search Engines, scrolling to the bottom and pasting https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/#apps/%s into the box on the right-hand side.

When users type things like "what to watch" or "good shows to watch" into Google's search engine, they will be able to tap on a button to be taken to the 'Top picks for you' section.

They will then be able to swipe left or right on a carousel of recommended movies and TV shows, depending on whether they like them or not.

The more they swipe, the better Google's algorithm gets at recommending content. Once a user decides on something they want to watch, Google will then show where it is available to watch online.

In order to personalise recommendations even further, users can select which streaming services they have subscriptions to, as well as whether they have cable TV or satellite subscriptions.

Google Search will let users swipe through a carousel of recommended movies and TV shows to find what they want to watch (Google)

Google claims that any data gathered will only be used to further improve recommendations, rather than to improve targeted advertising.

In a separate post, Google also revealed the top TV shows people are currently searching for in the US, with Saturday Night Live coming out on top.

Entering its 45th season on 28 September 2019, the late-night TV show has seen a resurgence in recent years, in part thanks to satirical sketches aimed at US President Donald Trump.

Other shows that are receiving high search volumes include The Walking Dead, The Simpsons, and Grey's Anatomy.

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