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Google announced today that it is globally rolling out “Preferred Sources,” a new feature that gives users direct control over which publishers appear in the “Top Stories” section of Search. Previously available only in limited testing, the feature is now launching for all English-language users worldwide, with support for more languages coming early next year.
The update addresses a long-standing user complaint by allowing searchers to manually “star” publications they trust, ensuring those sites appear more prominently during breaking news events. According to Google, the pilot program showed that users are twice as likely to click on a story when it comes from a source they have manually selected.
How to set it up (and add Chrome Unboxed)
The feature is integrated directly into the Search results page. To access it:
- Search for a newsy topic (like “Aluminium OS”) on Google
- Locate the “Top Stories” carousel
- Click the Star Icon or “Settings” button next to the header
- Search for your favorite sites and select them
You can also bypass the search results and add sites directly. If you’d like to prioritize our coverage, you can click here to add Chrome Unboxed as a Preferred Source. Just hit the checkmark next to our name to add us to your list.
Subscription highlighting and AI updates
Alongside Preferred Sources, Google introduced two other updates focused on connecting users to trusted content. The company will soon begin highlighting links from news outlets you subscribe to (like The Washington Post or The Guardian) in a dedicated carousel, launching first in the Gemini app with AI Overviews and AI Mode to follow.
Additionally, Google is improving its “AI Mode” responses by increasing the number of inline links and adding “contextual introductions” that explain exactly why a specific source was cited, addressing ongoing concerns about attribution in AI-generated answers.
The “Preferred Sources” rollout begins today. If you don’t see the star icon yet, it should appear on your device within the coming days.
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