Google has released what it calls the February 2026 Discover core update, a broad change to the systems that surface content in the Discover feed.
Google says the update is initially limited to English-language users in the United States, and it plans to expand it to more countries and languages in the future.
Google announced the update on the Search Central Blog and posted it to the Search Status Dashboard as an incident affecting ranking.
What’s New
The update applies to Google Discover, the personalized content feed that surfaces articles, videos, and social posts based on user interests.
Google’s description on the status dashboard is brief. The company says the update “is designed to improve the quality of Discover overall” and that its existing guidance about core updates and Discover applies. Google says the rollout may take up to two weeks to complete.
The update also includes geographic and language limitations. Starting with US English limits the initial impact, but publishers outside the US could still see effects if they have a US Discover audience. Google hasn’t provided a timeline for the broader rollout.
Why This Matters
A dedicated Discover update could indicate Google is tuning the feed’s quality signals separately from Search. Discover rankings could change without any corresponding movement in Search results, though Google hasn’t said whether Search rankings are affected.
Monitor Discover traffic in Search Console separately from organic search over the next two weeks. If you see traffic changes, check whether they’re isolated to Discover or also affecting Search. That distinction matters now more than it used to.
Looking Ahead
Google typically updates the Search Status Dashboard when a core update has finished rolling out. Google also notes that its standard core update guidance applies, which emphasizes content quality improvements over time rather than specific technical fixes.
