The Distracting Feed
When you open a New Tab in Google Chrome (particularly on mobile devices, but increasingly on desktop configurations), you aren’t just greeted by a search bar. Below the search area, Chrome frequently displays a massive “Discover” feed—a constantly updating list of news articles, blog posts, and videos that Google’s algorithm thinks you will find interesting. While some users enjoy this personalized news ticker, it is highly distracting if you opened a new tab with the specific intention of working or researching, only to be immediately derailed by a sensational headline about a celebrity or a video game.
Hiding the Discover Feed
To maintain focus and stop Google Chrome from automatically suggesting articles every time you open a blank tab, you must hide or completely disable the Discover feed.
On the desktop version of Chrome, this is usually managed by the “Customize Chrome” button in the bottom-right corner of the New Tab page. Click it, and under the “Cards” or “Shortcuts” section, look for toggles to hide “Discover” or “Articles for you.” On the mobile version of Chrome (Android/iOS), the process is even simpler. Open a New Tab. Directly above the first suggested article, you will see the word “Discover” next to a small gear icon (Settings). Click the gear icon. In the tiny pop-up menu that appears, select Turn off. The entire feed of articles will instantly vanish, leaving you with a clean, minimalist search page.