Google updates search with clearer ad labelling & collapsible sponsored results

Google has announced updates aimed at improving user experience across Search and its AI-powered tools.

The first update changes how ads appear on Google Search. Text ads on the results page will now appear under a single ‘Sponsored results’ label, which remains visible while users scroll. The new label groups all sponsored content together, including Shopping ads, to make it clearer which results are paid.

It is also adding a ‘Hide sponsored results’ option that lets users collapse text ads with one click and focus on organic results. The change does not alter ad size, and users will continue to see no more than four text ads in a grouping. The new ad layout is rolling out globally across desktop and mobile.

Separately, the company is expanding access to its image editing model, Nano Banana, built on Gemini 2.5 Flash. It is now being integrated into Google Search and NotebookLM, with plans to bring it to Google Photos in the coming weeks.

In Search, users can take or upload a photo using Google Lens and transform it using AI through a new ‘Create’ mode in the Google app on Android and iOS. In NotebookLM, the image editor enhances Video Overviews with six visual styles - such as watercolor and anime - and generates contextual illustrations based on users’ sources. It also powers a ‘Brief’ format for summarising insights.

News