The Discover Feed Distraction
When you open a new tab in Google Chrome, particularly on mobile devices but increasingly on desktop as well, you are greeted with more than just a search bar. Below your shortcuts, Google populates a “Discover” feed filled with news articles, blog posts, and YouTube videos automatically curated based on your previous browsing history. While this is intended to keep you engaged, it is incredibly distracting when you open a new tab strictly to perform a quick, focused work search, only to be sidetracked by clickbait headlines about your favorite hobbies.
How to Disable the Discover Feed (Mobile)
The Discover feed is most prominent on the Chrome mobile app for iOS and Android. You can collapse it so you never see the articles again.
1. Open the Google Chrome app on your phone.
2. Open a New Tab so you are on the default Google landing page.
3. Look just below your grid of shortcut icons. You will see a header that says Discover (or “Articles for you”).
4. Next to the word “Discover,” click the small gear icon (Settings).
5. From the drop-down menu that appears, tap Turn off.
The entire feed will vanish, leaving you with a clean, minimalist New Tab page containing only the search bar.
How to Clean the Desktop New Tab Page
On desktop, the New Tab page is generally cleaner, but Chrome still pushes “Cards” offering shopping suggestions or resumed browsing sessions. To disable these:
1. Open a New Tab in Chrome on your PC.
2. Click the Customize Chrome button in the absolute bottom-right corner of the window.
3. In the right-hand sidebar that slides out, scroll down to the bottom.
4. You will see a section for Cards (like “Resume your journey”).
5. Click the toggle switches to turn off any promotional or suggestion cards you do not wish to see.