One incredibly nifty feature Google introduced in a Labs experiment in June (of this year) was the option to use preferred sources in Google Search. The feature officially rolled out to the US and India in mid-August 2025.
The preferred source feature is an excellent way of personalizing your Google Search results. Selecting your preferred sources is easy, and you can choose as many as you’d like without limits.
Setting a preferred source lets you see more content (including recently published articles) from your preferred source in Top Stories. It’s a great way to filter your searches with your favorite publications and news outlets.
Our guide walks you through how to select Android Police as your preferred source on any smartphone and on browser-supported computers, such as Chromebooks.
Why should you use preferred sources in Google Search?
Google Search displays numerous sites with varying quality in terms of how they acquire sources and news. Now, with AI thrown into the mix, it has become a challenge to filter out misinformation or websites that rely solely on AI-generated content.
It almost feels like you have a lack of control over what you see in your top search results, especially when there are so many news sources reporting on the same story.
As journalists and readers, we all have our favorite websites and news sources. Essentially, if you didn’t love tech as much as we do, you wouldn’t be here, and we wouldn’t be writing about it either.
Using preferred sources helps you curate your news sources by selecting your favorite publishers. When you search for news topics, articles from your chosen publishers will be displayed more often (improves visibility).
It’s also a good way to indirectly reduce the visibility of news content from websites you rarely visit, while making sure Google prioritizes relevant news topics and articles around your chosen sources.
The experience is also customizable. You can add and remove preferred sources at any time without worrying about restrictions.
There’s also a dedicated section where you can find From your sources. The section displays articles from your selected sources.
The feature is relatively easy to set up. It is similar to adding a favorite or bookmarking a website. However, instead of pulling up a list of your saved websites, you let Google do all the work by displaying your chosen sources in Top Stories during relevant queries.
How to add preferred sources in Google Search
You can add preferred sources directly to your web browser on your computer and mobile device. You can do this on any web browser that you use to access Google Search.
However, for the new settings to take effect, you will need to ensure that you’ve signed in to the Google account that you used to save your preferred sources.
Right now, the feature is only available to users in the US and India.
To get started on adding preferred sources in Google Search, open your web browser of choice with Google Search. In the examples we show below, we chose Google Chrome.
A quick method for setting Android Police as your preferred source is to click or tap this link, which will direct you to the preferred sources page. From there, you can select the checkbox next to Android Police.
How to set Android Police as a preferred source on desktop
- Open Google Chrome or any web browser with Google Search.
- Type any news topics in the Google Search bar; in our example, we typed “One UI 8.5 leaks.”
-
In the Top Stories carousel near the top of the page, click the small square button with a star icon.
-
Inside the Search by name or website field, type “Android Police” (or use an abbreviation until it appears) and click the checkbox next to Android Police in the search results.
How to set Android Police as a preferred source on mobile
- Open Google Chrome or any web browser with Google Search.
- Type any news topics in the Google Search bar. In our example, we typed “One UI 8.5 leaks.”
- In the Top Stories carousel near the top of the page, tap the small square button with a star icon.
-
Inside the Search by name or website field, type “Android Police” (or use an abbreviation until it appears) and tap the checkbox next to Android Police in the search results.
You can use the Search by name or website field to add additional sources. Go ahead and save as many sources as you prefer, using the same steps outlined above.
When you’re done making your selection, reload the search results, and you should see your preferred sources populating your Top Stories feed.
The next time you search for a relevant news-oriented topic, like Android-related updates and general tech news, Android Police should appear near the top, landing in your Top Stories feed.
To change your preferred sources settings, such as removing websites you’ve previously added, return to the page, click or tap the square button with a star icon next to the Top Stories carousel in Google Search, and uncheck the websites listed under the Your sources section.
Follow Android Police on Google News
The Top Stories feed in Google Search isn’t the only place you can find more from Android Police (similarly, your favorite websites and preferred sources).
You can follow Android Police and other websites through Google News. It’s very straightforward and only takes a maximum of two steps.
To follow Android Police, open Google News on any web browser, search for “Android Police,” and then select Follow next to our website’s name and logo.
You can do this with other news publishers by finding the brand and selecting the Follow button (marked by a star) next to the name or logo.
Google Search doesn’t have to be so complicated
Although it isn’t ideal that Google Search has undergone numerous changes in the past few years, it remains one of the best local search engines to date for delivering reliable results.
Alternatives to Google Search exist. But they each have their downsides in comparison. Which is why we appreciate tools like preferred sources and Google Discover’s Follow feature, which help personalize your content and feed.
Whether you choose to add Android Police and other websites to your Google Search and News feed, remember that your web browsing experience should always feel like it’s in your control — so take advantage of these personalized tools when you see them!
