Google Discover visibility threatened by Samsung's UI 7 update

Samsung Galaxy users are reporting that the latest One UI 7 update is automatically switching their devices from Google Discover to Samsung News when swiping right from the home screen. The change, which appears to be occurring without user consent, represents a significant shift in how millions of Samsung users access news content on their devices.

According to Glenn Gabe, President of G-Squared Interactive LLC, who identified the issue on April 7, 2025, "The latest One UI update rolled out to my Samsung Galaxy S23 and swiping right now DOES NOT show Discover. It only shows Samsung News and I cannot find a way to revert that... It used to be an option, but now ONLY Samsung News is the option. Could impact visibility of your articles showing in Discover."

This development comes nearly two years after Samsung launched its proprietary Samsung News app on April 18, 2023, as a replacement for Samsung Free. At the time of launch, Samsung positioned the app as providing "a breadth of trusted news sources to create an everyday news experience in one convenient place."

The One UI 7 update appears to be removing the previously available option to choose between Samsung News and Google Discover, defaulting instead to Samsung News. For users who previously had Google Discover enabled, the update reverts their preference to Samsung News without notification.

Users can still restore Google Discover, but the process is not intuitive. Gabe discovered that after rebooting his device, he could access settings by long-pressing on the home screen, tapping settings, then tapping into the News tab to re-select Discover.

This change potentially creates a significant barrier between publishers and their audience. SEO and Discover Director at Reach PLC, Nicola Agius, raised the concern most directly: "The concern is, would the average user go to all this bother?"

For content publishers and marketers, this change could have substantial consequences. Google Discover drives significant traffic to many websites, serving personalized content to users based on their interests and search history. Samsung's decision to default to Samsung News instead potentially reduces visibility for publishers who have invested in optimizing for Google Discover.

Samsung News operates with a different content model. At launch, Samsung announced partnerships with selected news providers including Bloomberg Media, CNN, Fortune, Fox News, Glamour, GQ, HuffPost, Money, Newsweek, New York Post, Parade, POLITICO, Refinery29, Reuters, Salon, Slate, Sports Illustrated, The Daily Beast, TheStreet, USA TODAY, and Vice. Additional sources would be added through Samsung's syndication partner, upday.

The Samsung News app offers three primary ways for users to find news: Daily Briefings (delivered morning and evening), News Feeds (categorized and customizable), and Podcasts (listenable directly within the app).

When Samsung initially launched Samsung News, several publishing partners expressed positive sentiments about the platform. According to Danielle Belton, Editor-in-Chief of HuffPost, "As a digital-first outlet, syndication and strategic partnerships are how we ensure our content reaches far beyond the HuffPost footprint. Samsung News will allow us a new and effective channel for delivering breaking news directly to users in a way that's trusted and timely."

Caroline Harris, VP of Partnerships at Gannett, offered a similar perspective: "USA TODAY remains a trusted news leader at the forefront of innovation and transformation across the media landscape. As the original approachable news source, expanding our reach with breaking news and impactful journalism across Samsung's vast network further advances our mission to reach millions of readers where they are — on their mobile phones every day."

Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell also commented: "Readers turn to Fortune for business news and financial insights that inform them on how to move forward in uncertain times, and one of our ongoing goals is to meet our readers where they are. In our ever-interconnected and fast-paced world, Samsung News will give Galaxy users another way to stay current and access the latest business news and trends from Fortune."

Why this matters to marketers

The potential displacement of Google Discover represents a significant shift in the digital content landscape for several reasons:

1. Traffic redistribution: Sites that receive substantial traffic from Google Discover may see decreases as Samsung users are directed to Samsung News instead.
2. Publisher gatekeeping: While Google Discover uses algorithmic curation based on user behavior and interests, Samsung News has a more limited set of publishing partners, potentially creating a more closed ecosystem.
3. Data implications: The different content delivery systems likely collect and utilize user data differently, affecting how marketers understand and target Samsung's large user base.
4. Discoverability challenges: Content optimization strategies for Google Discover differ from those required for visibility in Samsung News, necessitating new approaches for marketers targeting Samsung users.
5. User experience fragmentation: The move further fragments the Android news consumption experience, complicating cross-device content strategies.

For digital marketers, particularly those focused on content distribution, this change necessitates a reevaluation of mobile content strategies. Publishers not currently partnered with Samsung may need to explore such partnerships, while all content creators may need to diversify their distribution channels to maintain visibility among Samsung's substantial user base.

The tension between platform manufacturers, content aggregators, and publishers continues to evolve as each entity seeks to control the user experience and data relationship. Samsung's move appears to be part of a broader strategy to strengthen its own content ecosystem, potentially at the expense of Google's content discovery mechanisms.

Market context

Samsung's push toward its own news platform aligns with broader industry trends where hardware manufacturers are increasingly developing content ecosystems to maintain user engagement and generate additional revenue streams. Apple has made similar moves with Apple News, while other Android manufacturers have pursued various content partnerships.

For Samsung, the News app represents a significant component of its content strategy. Launched in beta in April 2023, Samsung News was rolled out to U.S. Galaxy users as an update to Samsung Free. The company stated that users who already had the Samsung Free app would see the icon change to Samsung News starting on April 18, 2023.

At the time of launch, Avner Ronen, VP of Product Development at Samsung Electronics, explained the rationale: "We created Samsung News to deliver breaking and premium news to Galaxy users in an easy to access format. Our goal is to support users by letting them curate their ideal news experience."

Technical workaround

For users who prefer Google Discover, the current workaround process is:

1. Reboot the device
2. Long-press on the home screen
3. Tap settings
4. Tap into the News tab
5. Re-select Discover

This multi-step process creates significant friction that will likely result in many users simply accepting the default Samsung News experience rather than reconfiguring their devices.

Timeline of events

• April 18, 2023: Samsung launches Samsung News app as a replacement for Samsung Free
• Early April 2025: Samsung begins rolling out One UI 7 update to Galaxy devices
• April 7, 2025: Glenn Gabe reports that the update automatically switches users from Google Discover to Samsung News
• April 7, 2025: Gabe discovers and shares the workaround to restore Google Discover
• April 7, 2025: Industry professionals like Nicola Agius express concern about the impact on user behavior and content visibility

As this situation continues to develop, marketers and publishers will need to monitor both user behavior and traffic patterns to understand the full impact of Samsung's changes on content discovery and engagement.