Google News: 8 fast tips to get the most out of your newsfeed

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Even with an abundant choice of dedicated news apps and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, many users prefer Google News to consume the latest stories and spot trending topics. A recent Material You makeover also makes the Google News Android app better than ever for reading short articles on the go. However, the default Google News settings and customization options might not be set up right for everyone. Here are the best Google News tips to improve your reading experience on a small screen.

1. Customize notification settings in Google News

Google News might bombard you with dozens of alerts throughout the day. Before you ultimately turn off notifications for Google News (and eventually miss breaking news), you can customize notification settings as per your preference.

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·  Open Google News on your Android phone.

·  Tap on the circular account picture in the top right corner.

·  Tap on News settings.

·  Select Notifications under the Alerts menu.

·  You can use the slider to lower the number of notifications.

You can also disable other notification types such as breaking news, headlines, daily briefing, daily top story, sports, and more.

2. Change your region of interest

Maybe you want to know about what’s happening in UK politics or how the current economic situation is shaping up in Sri Lanka. Google News lets you see news from up to two language and region pairs. Here’s how you can set it up.

·  Open News settings in Google News (refer to the steps above).

·  Check the General menu and tap on Languages & regions of interest.

·  Google News will suggest some language & region pairs add to your account. Tap on Add a language and region to check more options.

·  Select the radio button beside a language and region. You will now see news from both regions in your Google News feed.

You even have an option to change the primary language and region for your Google News account.

3. Disable video autoplay in the Google News feed

The default video autoplay behavior in Google News can be distracting at times. Thankfully, you have an option to disable it or keep autoplay enabled on Wi-Fi only.

·  Open News settings in Google News (check the steps in the first section).

·  Scroll down and tap on Autoplay videos in the feed menu.

·  Select the radio button beside Wi-Fi only or Disabled.

4. Check full coverage of a story

If you want to catch full coverage by leading media houses on a specific news story, you can easily do so on Google News.

·  Start reading any story in Google News.

·  Tap on the Full Coverage option below.

·  Google News will bring the same story from other media sources to read.

You can even tap on the little Google News icon beside a news story to bring full coverage, so there’s no need to open the story first.

5. Follow topics and save stories

Your routine may revolve around busy mornings, and you might not have adequate time to catch all the important stories first thing in the day. You can save stories or topics that you wish to read at a later time.

·  Open a news story in Google News.

·  Tap on the save icon at the bottom (that looks like a ribbon).

·  Go back to the home screen and open the Following tab.

·  Scroll down, and you can check your saved stories in chronological order.

You can follow specific topics and media sources from the same menu.

6. Hide stories from a specific publication

If you no longer want to see stories from a specific website or publisher, you can hide its current and upcoming stories from your Google News feed.

·  Open Google News and find any stories you wish to hide.

·  Tap on the three-dot menu beside each story.

·  Select Hide stories from a publication from the following menu.

You can manage your source preferences from Google News settings > Sources & topics you see less of the menu.

7. Enable data saver mode

Are you browsing Google News feed on a limited data plan? You can disable autoplay videos (check the third trick) and enable data saver mode to apply some breaks to internet usage.

·  Go to Google News settings (refer to the first trick).

·  Scroll down to Data Saver mode.

·  Select the radio button beside Enabled.

8. Enable mini cards in Google News

If you aren’t a fan of Google News’ latest bigger and bolder stories look, you can revert to the familiar mini cards to browse more stories without too much scrolling.

·  Open Google News settings (check the first trick).

·  Enable Mi ni cards toggle and go back to the home screen to check out the new look in action. News is only the first draft of history

Google News also offers one of the most useful Android widgets to place on the home screen. You can use it to check full story coverage and glance over your morning briefings without opening the app. Once you ace Google News, why not make the jump to a paper-free life?