The URL, which is the site address of webpages, offers essential information to Internet users. It allows Internet users to verify that they are on the right website or verify links before they are visited.
The details: Google announced that it is stripping the address of results on Google Search on mobile so that only the domain name is shown.
Here is how this looks like on mobile now:
Google Search displays the domain name only from now on. Google reasons that the full URL is not that useful on mobile devices anyway, as it is cut off usually because of limited space on the screen.
The change applies to mobile search only. Desktop users continue to see the full address using breadcrumbs.
Notably, this comes just a week after security researchers uncovered a malvertising campaign on Google Search that allowed threat actors to display fake source domains in Google ads.
Can you still check the address in Google Search on mobile?
Google has not implemented a straightforward option to display the address of a linked resource before visiting it.
A tap on the menu icon next to a result displays various information about the source that Google collected, but not the full address. It is only displayed when you activate the “more about this page” link.
The page that is loaded then displayed the linked URL, but often cut off.
Two workarounds remain at this point:
- Long-press on a result to display to display various options. These differ from browser to browser, but they may display the address fully or at least partially.
- Use share functionality by long pressing on a link in the search results. You can then share the link or use other options, such as copying the link.
The better option, if you want full addresses shown on mobile, is to switch to another search engine. Most display the full address.
Closing Words
It is true that the full address is usually not displayed on mobiles. While the new results page looks more pleasing to the eye, it strips users of a way to verify the target of a link displayed on Google Search.
Google could at least have added the full address to the summary page that users can open when they tap on the three dots next to a result. It would even be possible to display it on multiple lines, so that it is visible in full.
Alas, no such option has been implemented.
What is your take on this? Do you mind the removal off the information on Google Search? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
Smartphones are ideal for chat apps and sending SMS since you don’t have to lug a laptop around with you, but trying to do anything else on such a small screen is totally impractical in my opinion.
Watching people who use them when I travel on the Metro and they all seem to be checking chat apps to see if they anyone sent them any messages, or sending some themselves. I’ve never noticed anyone using a search engine to do anything.
The only other thing people seem to do is to use the phone’s camera, but even that seems limited unless they’re tourists.
The simple and obvious solution is to stop using Google Search. There are excellent, free and far more privacy-repecting alternatives, DuckDuckGo perhaps being the most popular at the moment.
Sure why not, people scan QR codes too. Ignorance is bliss no?
Myself, I don’t use standard google search. I use the ‘more’ privacy oriented version of google, DuckDuckGo.
I do actually search on my mobile occasionally. I use AdBlock Browser on it.