Google search gets smarter with live TV guide

Google search TV listings

Google search is about to get a whole lot more useful for TV lovers. Google announced this week that soon you'll be able to find when and, more importantly, where your favorite TV shows are playing.

Google search TV listings

For example, if you want to watch The Simpsons, Google will tell you when the next episode will air as well as what channel it's on so you can tune in live. These results will be shown on the web and through Google's mobile search apps.

Google will also let you know which streaming services offer a back catalog so you catch up on old episodes as well.

Of course there's something about ads

In addition to making it easier for you to catch your show on TV, Google wants to make sure ad experiences are tailored to you, too.

The search giant will now let advertisers offer relevant ads to users across screens, even on live TV. This is great if you're sick of getting ads for products you'd never buy, but it's also a bit creepy as it means Google will track you across the web and offer that information to advertisers to use on live television.

Google has been steadily adding more features to its search engine to surface exactly what users are looking for faster, and even anticipates what you'll be searching for with Google Now.

Details on TV times and channels is a useful addition for viewers, though ads that "speak" to me while I'm watching Bob's Burgers make me a little uneasy.

Lewis Leong
Lewis Leong is a freelance writer for TechRadar. He has an unhealthy obsession with headphones and can identify cars simply by listening to their exhaust notes.