Skip to main content

Google’s updated events search feature will keep your boredom at bay

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Here to ensure you’re never bored this summer is Google, which has rolled out new and improved ways to search for events in your neck of the woods.

After introducing a card interface for event-related searches last year, the internet giant is ramping up its techniques yet again, simplifying your hunt for the perfect way to fill your free time. Now you’ll be able to find information such as time, location, and ticket pricing, and Google is also serving up a new way to discover events that you might otherwise be unaware of.

If you conduct a search for say, “event near me” or “free concert,” Google will present you with a list of events from a wide range of sites, as well as key information about that event, straight from the search page. Really, that just means less clicking on links, and more information presented at once.

You can then tap any event that piques your interest, and you’ll see relevant details like time, location, ticketing  providers, and other information that Google says “will help you decide whether to attend.” If you decide the answer is “yes,” you can follow the links to buy tickets from a number of different purveyors (Google seems to be emphasizing that this isn’t all Google-run, and that third-party sellers are indeed being included). Additionally, you can share and save events if you’re looking to create an itinerary with friends, or are just weighing your options.

Moreover, Google is also promising to help folks find events based on their interests. “While browsing events, you can tap the “For You” tab to get personalized ideas for things to do near you,” Google notes in a blog post. “You’ll also see trending and popular events in your area to keep you in the loop on the hottest happenings.” These events can range from meetups to concerts to individual events hosted by various organizations and brands that you’ve indicated an interest in. Listings are said to be updated often, so you’re always looking at the most updated menu of options available.

Google will be rolling out these new features over the next few days, and for the time being, they’re only available to users in the United States.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Your Google Pixel 8 is getting this cool missing feature after all
The Google Pixel 8 on a table.

A feature you thought wasn’t coming to your Google Pixel 8 is coming to your Pixel 8, after all. It’s Gemini Nano, the on-device AI that recently launched on the Pixel 8 Pro, but Google claimed it wouldn’t work on the cheaper Pixel 8. Backtracking on previous statements is rarely a good thing, but this time, it has a happy ending.

Gemini Nano — the name given to the most efficient version of Google’s Gemini AI, joining Gemini Pro and Ultra — arrived on the Pixel 8 Pro in an update in December 2023. It was good news, but Pixel 8 owners were oddly left out. In an episode of the Android Developers podcast in March 2024, it was then claimed Gemini Nano wouldn’t operate on the non-Pro Pixel 8 at all due to unspecified hardware limitations, which was a blow to owners of the cheaper phone as it even uses the same processor as the Pro model.

Read more
Have one of these Google Pixel phones? You’re getting Circle to Search
Someone holding the Google Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6a next to each other.

Circle to Search — Google's excellent search tool that debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S24 earlier this year — is about to become available to more people. Specifically, it's coming to a bunch more Pixel devices, giving even more people a chance to use it for themselves.

As the name implies, Circle to Search allows you to circle or scribble anything on your screen to perform a Google Search for it. It's great for those times you see something on your phone and want to know more about it, but aren't sure how to type out a Google Search for it. It launched on the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra in January and then quickly made its way to the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Read more
A big Google Pixel 9 feature just leaked, and it sounds impressive
Holding the Google Pixel 8 Pro in front of a bush.

Google introduced a “screen protector detector” service with the launch of Google Pixel 8 last year. It detects when you take a screen protector on or off to adjust the display's touch sensitivity. Google now seems to be building upon that and is aiming to release a new feature called “Adaptive Touch” with the next Pixel.

According to a report from Android Authority, Google is preparing to add this Adaptive Touch feature on the Google Pixel 9. In his teardown of Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1, Mishaal Rahman found the option under Settings > Display > Touch sensitivity. It is said to “automatically adjust to your environment, activities, and screen protector.”

Read more