# Did Google change its look? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 4, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287 "2010-03-04T15:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/1 "2010-03-04T15:51:40Z")
My Google page looks different. Bolder letters, bigger search box. Menu options on the left side. Did Google change recently? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/2 "2010-03-04T15:57:26Z")
What do you count as recently? I think they made their changes several months ago. But yeah, they made things a bit bigger and a few other changes. Here is a side-by-side example: [new-old-search-next.png (image)](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7ZYqYi4xigk/SqgeZQO37fI/AAAAAAAAEg4/SzruS1piwMA/s1600-h/new-old-search-next.png) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/3 "2010-03-04T16:16:07Z")
I don’t have menu options on the left, but I do have menu options on top, now (web, images, video, etc.) I could also swear that at some point in the last two weeks (during the Olympics, IIRC) when I went to Google, there was some kind of news ticker with images that appeared either right below or above the search bar. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/4 "2010-03-04T16:52:15Z")
The menu options on the left appear with the search results. Before the search, the Google logo appears to the left of the search box. I think it might be iGoogle? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/5 "2010-03-04T17:34:03Z")
The menu to left of the results should be displayable or hidable via a “show options” / “hide options” link in the bar above the results, and it retains the state, at least for your current session (I don’t let google save cookies). Perhaps you inadvertently clicked “show options”? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/6 "2010-03-04T18:06:33Z")
I’ve noticed recently that when I first open Google, it has none of the other options, but then as soon as I move the cursor over the page, the other options\* appear with a “fade-in” effect. Is that a universal change or have I got some setting ticked? - i.e. Web, Images, Videos, Maps etc in the top left, iGoogle, Search settings, Sign in in the top right, etc etc ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/7 "2010-03-04T18:26:25Z")
I noticed that I would very occasionally, perhaps once every couple weeks, get the menu options on the left thing. I’m not quite sure what’s going on. My cookies are always cleared after each session. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/8 "2010-03-04T19:17:32Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > The menu options on the left appear with the search results. > > Before the search, the Google logo appears to the left of the search box. > > I think it might be iGoogle? Yeah, the news feed thing I saw might have been iGoogle. That does look familiar. I see the left-hand menu you’re talking about now. I only get that if I click “show options.” ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/9 "2010-03-04T19:28:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, the news feed thing I saw might have been iGoogle. That does look familiar. > > I see the left-hand menu you’re talking about now. I only get that if I click “show options.” I don’t see anything that lets me toggle the options. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/10 "2010-03-04T19:42:08Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > I don’t see anything that lets me toggle the options. Are you getting a left handed column that says something like “all results, videos, news, blogs, updates, books, etc…”? If so, above that there should be something that says “Web” and “-Hide options.” Or are we looking at two different things? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/11 "2010-03-04T20:32:17Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Are you getting a left handed column that says something like “all results, videos, news, blogs, updates, books, etc…”? If so, above that there should be something that says “Web” and “-Hide options.” Or are we looking at two different things? Basically yes, but I don’t have the “Web” and “Hide options” part ---
**Author:** ![chambraigne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@chambraigne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chambraigne)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/12 "2010-03-05T00:49:23Z")
Google has been testing a redesign with a small number of users that has been spotted by a number of bloggers. Once such sighting is here: [http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/An-Updated-Google-Homepage-Redesign-Spotted-in-the-Wild-Pics-3.png/](http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/An-Updated-Google-Homepage-Redesign-Spotted-in-the-Wild-Pics-3.png/) Perhaps that’s what you’re seeing? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-google-change-its-look/531287/13 "2010-03-05T18:37:36Z")
The search results when I use my Dell show a horizontal blue section between the search box and the search results that says “Web” and “Show Options…” When I use my Toshiba, it’s not there.