Google is reverting to its traditional pagination bar for search results, replacing the continuous scroll feature. As of yesterday, continuous scroll is no longer available on desktop, and the mobile search version will follow this change in the coming months. Google stated that this change aims to speed up search processes by loading only the requested results.
The continuous scroll feature was initially introduced for desktop users in December 2022 and for mobile users in October 2021. After 1.5 years on desktop and 2.5 years on mobile, Google has decided to eliminate continuous scrolling altogether. The company had been experimenting with bringing back the classic pagination options, such as the next button and the more results button, before making this final decision.
Google mentioned that this adjustment allows for quicker delivery of search results, as it avoids preloading information that users haven’t specifically asked for. Here is how the search results appear with the reinstated pagination bar:
Here’s the continuous scroll screenshot, with the loading circle in the bottom white area:
A number of people started to see this on Monday morning and even I was able to replicate it
When Google first introduced continuous scrolling, they stated:
We guess that Google changed their mind on this.
Glenn Gabe thinks this may be related to AI Overviews, he said the following on X (formerly twitter):
John Mueller, a Google developer, commented on this on LinkedIn – he wrote:
