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- Why choosing a preferred source matters for your feed
- How to add a preferred source on mobile (Google News and Discover)
- How to add or manage preferred sources on desktop (news.google.com)
- How to view and edit your followed sources
- Practical tips to make personalization work better
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Privacy and what Google uses from your choices
- What publishers should know about preferred-source signals
Want your Google Discover and News feed to show more stories from outlets you trust? You can tell Google which publishers matter to you. Doing so sharpens recommendations across the Google app and Google News, and helps you spot reliable reporting faster.
Why choosing a preferred source matters for your feed
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Personalizing your news sources changes what appears in Discover and Google News. Google uses signals from your followed sources to adjust the mix of topics and publishers. That means fewer irrelevant items and more stories from outlets you value.
- Better relevance: You see more articles aligned with your interests.
- Faster access: Articles from chosen sources appear sooner in Discover.
- Cleaner feed: You can reduce repeat or low-quality results.
How to add a preferred source on mobile (Google News and Discover)
The exact label can vary by app version and region. These steps work for most Android and iOS setups.
- Open the Google or Google News app and make sure you’re signed in.
- Find an article from the outlet you want to prefer.
- Tap the publisher name or the three-dot menu on the story card.
- Select Follow or Follow this source. If you see Add as preferred source, choose that.
- Confirm if prompted. The source will now influence your Discover and News recommendations.
If you can’t find the option, search for the publication inside Google News, open its publisher page, then tap Follow.
How to add or manage preferred sources on desktop (news.google.com)
On the web, Google News gives a clear publisher page and following controls.
- Go to news.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
- Use the search box to find the news outlet by name.
- Open the outlet’s page and click the Follow button.
- Manage followed sources from the Following tab in the left-hand menu.
How to view and edit your followed sources
Google keeps a list of what you follow so you can refine your feed anytime.
- Open the Google News app and tap Following to see your publishers.
- On the web, open the Following section in the sidebar.
- To remove a source, tap or click Following next to the name, then confirm Unfollow.
Practical tips to make personalization work better
- Follow a mix of national and local outlets to balance perspective.
- Follow topic pages as well as publishers for subject-specific coverage.
- Use the “More stories like this” and “Fewer stories like this” options to fine-tune Discover signals.
- Clear outdated interests from your Google activity if recommendations veer off track.
Troubleshooting common issues
If the preferred source setting doesn’t appear or changes don’t take effect, try these steps.
- Update the Google or Google News app to the latest version.
- Confirm you are signed into the correct Google account.
- Clear app cache or reload the web page to refresh settings.
- Some regions and publishers may not support follow/prefer options yet.
Privacy and what Google uses from your choices
Following a source updates your personalization profile. Google uses this data to surface relevant stories across products. You can always review or remove followed sources at any time.
What publishers should know about preferred-source signals
For news organizations, being followed increases the chance their stories reach engaged readers. Publishers should maintain accurate metadata, clear author and publisher names, and reliable canonical links to improve discovery.
Quick checklist for publishers
- Verify site ownership in Google Search Console and Google News if eligible.
- Use consistent publisher names and structured data on articles.
- Keep headlines and summaries concise and descriptive.
- Maintain publication quality to retain followers.
