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| Google collects videos from Instagram and Tik Tok |
Google is testing a new feature to display videos from Instagram and Tik Tok in the dedicated library for the Google mobile app.
The move is designed to help Google prevent users from searching for entertainment through social videos without leaving the Google platform entirely.
This functionality was expanded in a test that began earlier this year when Google first featured a series of short videos in a custom feed on the Google Discover.
This short video library differs from the Google Stories feature that was launched in October 2020 via the Google Search app for Android and iOS.
These stories, previously known as AMP stories, consist of short video content created by Google's online publishing partners, such as: Forbes, USA Today, Vice, Now, Hustle, Thrillist, etc.
This short video library focuses on aggregating social videos from other platforms, including the short video project Google Tangi off the YouTube platform and Indian rival TikTok Trell.
You can record video from Instagram and Tik Tok using "Short Video Line" and click to upload it to the social platform's web version instead of the original mobile app, even though the video is installed on your device.
The bottom line is likely that Google users are still on Google because simply clicking on the back arrow will return you to search results after watching the video.
Google has been indexing video content for many years and partnered with Twitter in 2015 to index search results. However, it is not clear to what extent there is an official relationship with Instagram or TikTok.
A Google spokesperson confirmed that the feature is currently in testing on mobile devices and stated that limited functionality is still in its early stages.
You won't find a short video library in every search query, but over time, as Google expands its product line, the tool may index better video content than social media platforms unless the platform blocks Google here.
At the moment, there is limited use of this feature across Google's mobile apps and the internet, the company said.