Google is set to change how search results are displayed on desktop browsers starting June 26. The company will revert to a pagination format, meaning users will see a limited number of results on the search home page, with more results available on subsequent pages. This move marks the end of continuous scrolling, which has been a feature for desktop searches since late 2022.
Return to Pagination
According to a report by Search Engine Land, a Google spokesperson confirmed that continuous scrolling will be phased out from desktop search results today and from mobile results in the coming months. Prior to the introduction of continuous scrolling, users had to click a “Next” button to move to subsequent pages of search results. Google is now reinstating this system for desktop users. A pagination bar will appear at the bottom of the search results, allowing users to click “Next” or select a specific page number to navigate through the results.
Changes on Mobile Devices
For mobile devices, the transition away from continuous scrolling will happen gradually. Users will soon see a “More results” button at the bottom of the page, which they will need to tap to load additional search results. This change aims to streamline the user experience and improve search result loading times.
Reasons for the Change
Google has stated that this modification is intended to serve search results faster and more efficiently. By limiting the number of automatically loaded results, the search engine can deliver results more quickly for more searches. This change reflects Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance performance and user experience across its platforms.
Background and Implementation
Continuous scrolling was first introduced for mobile devices in October 2021 and later for desktop searches in late 2022. The upcoming reversion to pagination comes shortly after Google began rolling out its Gemini AI in the side panel of workspace apps like Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. This rollout was part of the announcements made during the I/O developers conference in May.
Impact on Users
The return to pagination may affect how users interact with search results, as they will need to manually navigate through pages once again. However, this change is expected to provide a faster and more efficient search experience by reducing unnecessary loading times.
