Re: Google nag to turn Discover on

Note: I wrote this followup before my other note today (11:20 AM,
UTC-7), but didn't realized I hadn't sent this one. This one may be
obsolete, but I'm sending it anyway because what the heck, it's only
electrons.)

On Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:09:23 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

 
Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
 

Google Pixel 8a phone, Android 15
 
I've had this phone since the first week of December, and one of the
first things I did was to turn off Discover. I can live quite well
without being served up clickbait in "my" feed, which was created by
Google not me.
 
Google's retaliation: About one time in three when I tap any icon to
open an app, instead of getting whatever I tapped for, I get a panel
brusquely telling me to turn Discover back on. I swipe right and
retap the icon I wanted.

 
Google app settings -> General settings -> Discover

Is that still disabled?  After disabling, make sure to stop the Google
app, so it isn't sitting in the background still using its old settings.

Yes, that is what I turned off within a few days of getting my phone.
Yes, it is still turned off.

When you then next load the Google app, are there still Discover stories
in the Google app's window?

Maybe I wasn't clear. The issue is not what's in the Google app, the
issue is that when, for instance, I tap the icon for my bank's app or
the library's app or others, about one time in three the Google app
opens and prompts me to turn Discover back on.

I chose my bank's app and the library's app as examples because both
of them communicate directly with the respective servers. They do not
use a web browser. There is no reason Google or Chrome would need to
turn on for them. And indeed, about 2 times out of 3, when I launch
an app I _don't_ get the new screen prompting me to turn on Discover.

If the unidentified apps are merely web-centric interfaces to a web
site, perhaps you need to ensure the Google app is not opening a web
page instead of whatever web browser you chose.

Again, we are not talking about what happens after I open the Google
app. The issue is that, about one time out of 3, the Google app
_opens_itself_ and displays the nag screen when I am trying to get to
a completely different application, whether that application comes
from Google or not.

Google app settings -> General settings -> Open web pages in the app
 
Since your phone likely connects to your Google account, go to
google.com (and signin), click your account picture, More settings, and
then Other settings.  Disable "Show Discover on home page."

I don't have such a setting under Other Settings, neither in a web
browser nor in the Google app, and entering it in the settings search
box didn't find it. The web browser version doesn't even have
Discover under Other Settings (or anywhere else that I could readily
see). Under Other Settings in the app, Discover (which, as I said, is
turned off) there is an explanation "You'll see stories related to
your interest on the home tab of the app."


--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...