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Choosing which outlets appear first in your Google feed can change how you discover news. By marking a publisher as a go-to source, you steer Google Discover and Google News toward the topics and voices you trust. Below are clear steps, benefits, and tips to help you set up and manage preferred sources across devices.
Why make a source your preferred choice on Google
Designating a preferred source helps Google surface content you value more often. It can boost visibility for outlets you trust and reduce unrelated or low-quality items in your feed.
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- More relevant stories: Your feed favors updates from chosen publishers.
- Faster updates: Breaking news from your preferred outlets appears sooner.
- Curated quality: You see fewer repetitive or low-value pieces.
- Better discovery: Related topics and deep dives from trusted sources show up more.
Step-by-step: How to set a preferred source in Google
Options vary by platform. Follow the method that matches your device or app.
On the Google app (mobile)
- Open the Google app and tap Discover or News.
- Find an article from the publisher you want to prefer.
- Tap the three-dot menu beside the article.
- Select Follow or Prefer this source, if available.
- Confirm the selection in the prompt to prioritize that outlet.
On desktop via Google News
- Go to news.google.com and search for the publication name.
- Open the publication page and click Follow or the bell icon.
- Adjust notification preferences from the site page.
If you don’t see a direct option
- Use the Search card: click the three dots on a Search result and choose to follow the source.
- Visit the publisher’s profile in Google News and select follow from there.
How Google uses your chosen sources
Google combines your followed publishers with your activity to personalize content. This selection is one signal among many that adjusts what appears in Discover and News.
- Your followed sources get higher weighting in recommendations.
- Interest signals such as clicks and reads also influence results.
- Following does not guarantee every story, but increases the chance of relevant coverage.
Smart tips to improve your personalized feed
- Follow a variety of outlets: Mix local, national, and niche publishers for balance.
- Use Topic follow: Follow topics in addition to sources for broader coverage.
- Regularly refine follows: Unfollow sources that no longer match your interests.
- Enable notifications: Turn on alerts for must-read updates from key sources.
- Clear activity selectively: Remove search or watch history that skews recommendations.
Common issues and quick fixes
- Follow button missing: Update the app or try following from Google News on desktop.
- Stories still unrelated: Unfollow heavy-topic outlets and follow more specific sources.
- Notifications not arriving: Check app permissions and notification settings.
- Source not available: Some publishers aren’t listed; add topics or similar trusted outlets instead.
Privacy and control over your preferences
You control which publishers influence your feed. Manage follows and personalization from Google account settings at any time. Adjusting these controls changes what Discover and News suggest without affecting other services.
