Google is bringing new ad formats to its products on mobile devices

By Christian de Looper Published May 14, 2019

google ad controls — guteksk7/Shutterstock

It looks like ads on mobile are about to feature a little more prominently. Google announced a series of new ad types for its mobile products — some of which may be a little more intrusive than others.

Ad types range in function and size and will range in location that they’ll be displayed too. For example, you’ll start to see ads in the Google Discover feed, which is where many get their news stories and other content that they may be interested in on their Android phone. You will also start seeing so-called “gallery” ads, with which advertisers can show multiple images and allow users to swipe through those images, and there will soon be ads in the actual Google app and on the Google homepage on mobile.

Recommended Videos

It’s not all that surprising to see Google try to make ads on mobile a little more prominent — after all, advertising is Google’s core business. The ad formats are specifically designed to be more noticeable on mobile devices, with the idea being that more noticeable ads will be used more, which will ultimately make Google and advertisers more money. According to Google’s blog post, the new ad formats resulted in up to 25% more interactions.

The new ad formats are expected to be more widely released in Google’s mobile products later in the year.

Google is also making a new Google Shopping experience, and it should hopefully make for a better online shopping experience for many users. The new Google Shopping service will allow users to compare products at a glance and quickly and easily buy those products when they want to. This could particularly come in handy for retailers, who might want to take advantage of the new Google Shopping to advertise their products.

New ads are coming to YouTube, too. The new ad formats will be located alongside recommended videos, meaning that advertisers don’t necessarily need video ads to advertise on YouTube. These ads on YouTube will be the same formats as in other Google products.

We’ll have to wait and see just how intrusive Google’s new ad formats are, and hopefully, they won’t interrupt the mobile user experience too much.

Christian de Looper

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…

Topics

Phones

Google may finally ditch Samsung’s modem in the Pixel 11, and Tensor G6 could be better for it

FCC paperwork for Google’s next foldable points to MediaTek, raising hopes for lower power use and a cleaner break from Tensor’s Exynos roots

AI recreation of Pixel 11's Pixel Glow feature.

Google may be preparing its biggest Tensor hardware split yet. As spotted by Android Authority, FCC testing for an unreleased foldable Google phone includes a reference to MediaTek radio-frequency software, adding weight to reports that the Pixel 11’s Tensor G6 could leave Samsung’s Exynos modem behind.

Every previous Tensor chip has used Samsung modem hardware. Changing suppliers won’t guarantee better battery life or reception, but it gives Google a fresh path after years of leaning on the same underlying technology.

Phones

Apple’s iPhone Ultra could one-up the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a bigger battery

4,883mAh total capacity, two cells, and two screens drawing power. Somewhere between "fine" and "I hope Apple's software does the heavy lifting."

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Apple's foldable iPhone is getting closer to its September announcement. Despite rumors of a delay, a recent report claimed that Foxconn is hiring temporary workers to ramp up production of the Ultra. Now we have a number for one of its most important specs: the battery.

I'll be honest: when I saw the battery figure, my reaction was somewhere between "that works" and "I was hoping for more."

Phones

The next “flagship killer” is coming from Motorola, but it may not reach the US anytime soon.

The Motorola Edge 70 Max looks great on paper, but only India is getting it on July 15.

Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

Motorola is building the most ambitious phone in its Edge 70 lineup, but it might not be available in the United States.

Specs like a 7,000-nit display and MagSafe-style magnetic wireless charging belong in a conversation that often includes flagships, but it looks like Motorola wants to break that norm.