Normally, you type what you’re searching for and away you go. There’s often a line of picture links near the top of items to buy. They make money from adverts from people with stuff to sell, I get that.

However, today, I type what I’m searching for, usual screen with a line of adverts pop up but now, before I can scroll past them, one if them pops up and I then have to click it closed before I can go back to looking for spec or reviews of said item.

Is this how it is now, or is there a setting I can change?

Do you have Adblock or Adblock Plus installed in your browser..?

I can’t replicate that issue, its all your fault.

Is this how it is now, or is there a setting I can change?

Other search engines exist.

what OS / browser?

in osx / safari or chrome the ads pop forward a bit/expand as the mouse passes them but nothing that obstructs or has to be dismissed

one if them pops up and I then have to click it closed before I can go back to looking for spec or reviews of said item.

only one? Always the same one or from the same source? A rogue ad maybe rather than anything intended by google

It’s when using chrome on an android phone if that makes a difference.

Is it an ad for something you’ve been talking about recently?

For example, I’m currently looking for what might be needed to fit a tumble dryer in a cupboard. Therefore, most of the searches involve the phrase “tumble dryer”. I understand that Google sees this as a chance to sell me a tumbl dryer, and I’m used to the results page having a line of pictures of tumble dryers to buy that I can flick left or right through.

However, if I choose to ignore these and scroll down to the results that might actually discuss ventilation for the cupboard, one of these picture adds pop forward and fills the screen. If I scroll down, all I get is the rest if the picture adds. I have to tap the cross in the top right before I can look at the search results.

Not the biggest problem in the world but it gets annoying quickly when it happens on ever single search.

Doesn’t happen for me. I get the horizontal line of images (that’s Google Shopping stuff) then in the normal list I get 5 hits, then a ‘people also ask’ thing of other questions, then a map with local tumble dryer installers/repairers, then the rest is hits.

On Android on Chrome I get the same thing but there are more hits between the different stuff. No screen covering popups. As above, sounds like a rogue ad. I think you can report ads, no?

Tried searching for something completely different and the same thing happens. Different product by a different company, same issue.

Do you have a Google account? where you can apply settings like ‘don’t show me annoying pop-up ads you dick’?

People still use Google?

So Google’s search engine, on Google’s browser on Google’s operating system.

It just works 🙂

I would be checking for ‘add-ins’ or extensions on my browser.  That really doesn’t sound like google behaviour but it does sound like extension behaviour.  Also check the URL to make sure it really is google and not something else that has replaced your search engine but is trying to look like google

Is it any help if I search something and post the link here?

Perhaps some of the more IT biased folk on here might be able to spot it.

Why has google started being such a dick?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Why+has+google+started+being+such+a+dick%3F

And does it have anything to do with the fact I’ve seen that bloody Google privacy reminder over a hundred times today?

a friend informs me that some sort of advert blocking browser extension can now be downloaded for Android phones and no longer seems to need root type stuff to be done to the phone

so even if google had started being a dick he wouldn’t know about it

Is this to do with trousertown

It’s supposed to do that, every other website does it, thinly veiled implication that you’re an idiot.

Wait, did you say Google? Sorry, I was thinking of another website.

I’ve been getting this too it’s really annoying. Yes I use Google to search for things it normally works well for me but instead of coming up with a list of search results it’s bringing up a page full of photos of shopping items

I’m sorry to hear there is another sufferer, but I’m glad I’m not alone.