It is not often that Google changes something on the front-end of Google Search. The only element that the Google developers change regularly is the logo that adds a little bit of change to the search engine every other day or so. Changes to the rest of the front-end on the other hand are rare and it came as a surprise that the font size of the search form has been increased significantly. This has been tested with various web browsers like Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer which all confirmed the change. We first thought it was caused by a Firefox add-on or Greasemonkey script or related to the Firefox update yesterday but this is apparently not the case.
The font size of the Google search result pages on the other hand do not look like they have been changed as well. The new font size looks and feels alien on first glance which can be attributed to the fact that the font size has not changed in years.
Not everyone might experience the new font size. Reasons for this could be that Google is testing the font size in Google Search and showing it only to some of the search engine visitors. Another reason might be that Google is adjusting the font size based on the visitors screen resolution.
Let us know if you see the larger font size in Google Search as well and what you think of it.
Update: Users who prefer the old font size can install a Greasemonkey script to revert back to the old font size.
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Here is a userscript to go back to the old font size: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/57449
I see enlarged fonts (on 1200×800, PL language version) and it looks strange (and rather bad) to me. However it would be nice to have choice the who knows maybe it would be nice to choose such fonts on smaller computer (like netbook)
Meh. Been using the Irish iGoogle page since my standard one was raped by Google not-so-long ago. The new one is just fugly, and I’m not a huge UI whore, but I refuse to use it.
Whatever happened to storing your preferrence in a cookie? I like the idea of changing standard font as much as I like the “awesome”bar (not at all).
It just gets tiring looking for crude scripts and other junk to negate these silly changes. Just because the masses “don’t mind it” doesn’t mean that it was a great idea!
That all said, perhaps I’m blissfully ignorant but I don’t see this font change. I hate it for those who do, though. ;)
Noticed this morning on google.co.uk when logged in at work (7.45am – UK time). Thought it was:
-a me zooming without being aware.
-b Support and Operations guys fooling around with some browser setting.
Turns out it’s just Google fiddling with something that was nice and turning it into cr@p. Disturbing. Throws me back to Internet 1963. Can we expect now some animated gifs on the front page? What about some clip-art next to the megahuge search buttons? Well done you! >@
Noticed it as well, after the jump from iGoogle to the normal google search results. So, in iGoogle the new font(/-size) doesn’t show, in Google.nl (Netherlands), it does.
And sure, at first I thought i was zoomed in as well.
I noticed this last night (9SEP2009) with Firefox on my laptop, and tried everything to change it back. I also thought that I had done something wrong, until I came into work and saw the same thing here. If only I could install the greasemonkey script on my work computer….
yes it’s changed for me too..
quite the shock this morning :P
it’s a bit unsettling.. (i don’t like change)
Just posted this to gblog@google.com:
Thank heavens for Firefox, Greasemonkey and the community who support them. With their help I don’t have to have the Janet-and-John size print on my screen following the unwanted, unadvertised and unattractive change in text size you have imposed today. I suggest that Marissa Mayer, Vice President, Search Products & User Experience only takes half of her job title seriously if she thinks that she is doing a good job.
For many more who use other browsers or who are not as technically aware, the option is not Greasemonkey, the option is “Do I go to Yahoo!” or “Do I go to Bing”.
yes, i saw the change and thought it was a virus…so tried hard to rectify it…also thot that google could have changed it….but wen i askd ppl…atleast 5, they all said their fonts were the same…so i was convinced its a virus…or some setting has to be changed in my comp…but then thankfully, i had the brains to do a google search and realised google had indeed made the fonts bigger. i guess i was one of the lucky ones to see the change ! i prefer the earlier one though :)
The new font size is awful. I thought I had really messed something up in my browser when I discovered the change. It would have been nice to see an explination and a way to change it back to something that doesn’t offend.
I noticed it this morning too on my google.co.uk. It looks pretty weird.
Why would google play around/change a winning formula? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!! ;)
Me too. I went through all my browser settings and even the OS settings to make sure nothing had changed – “by itself”. Can’t say I like the new larger font, but I’m sure I will get used to it.
Hate it
It’s unnecessarily large. first i don’t really want people able to look over my shoulder and read what i’m searching so much clearer, and two i thinkn the bigger font looks like kindergarten letters. hate it.
Yes, larger on 22″ and laptop…HATE IT! I am with Cola – it’s either a kindergarten or a nursing home setting. Go back Shane, go back!!!!
Hate it!
I didn’t like it either. It looks awfull !! Did they mess up the Google news also? I saw one section in too small a font.. and another in normal font. I dont understand why they want to mess up something which is working just fine !!
It is larger & I don’t like it!!!!
Before making a change, at least post a message below the search buttons saying “Font size will change 9/10/09, don’t be alarmed.”
Think of all the time this confusion has wasted everyone. If only 2 minutes of zooming and reading this thread, multiplied by millions of users, that’s a big waste.
Yes, I saw it for the first time today – thought I’d gone mad and was checking all my Firefox font settings! The search box is now HUGE!
Glad to hear it’s not just me, although I really don’t like it and would prefer it back to the previous size. I might even bash together some user CSS to do it for me – will see how I feel about it in a few days time.
I’ve wasted quite a while trying to find a way to restore it to the way it was – I detest the new kiddie-font.
I also tried to find a way of sending feedback – no luck. Then I tried to ring them, but the 9-option automatic answer doesn’t provide any appropriate option.
If they haven’t put it back the way it was within a couple of days, I’ll be using a different search engine.
These geeks need to learn not to alienate users!
damn google. gimme me the font back. wasting my times thinking something wrong with my ubuntu.
I use Google Chrome and I can see larger fonts. I don’t like them. I tried to chnge the font size to regular by tweaking under the hood setting for web language and fonts. but did not work. It ‘s just unpleasant. and not to mention all the time I wasted figuring out what is “wrong” and how do I fix it. Damn you google! It’s not even April First!
I noticed it this morning and thought it was the result of some kind of spyware attack. I think web developers would be smart to post some kind of notice to users when they make these kinds of changes. With similar changes caused so frequently by spyware, viruses, and other programs, it would be good to know the cause so that users don’t have to worry about what’s causing the sudden change in interface.
why the change? At least give us the reason. It really annoy me that i’m unable to search in google without thinking about it. Can we sue google for disturbing peace of mind and productivity? I swear I’ll sue the heck of of them!
omg lol. I have been submitting bug reports thinking that Konqueror was bust and it’s freaking Google xD
I cleared my browser cache, history, cookies…and the fonts went back to small. I had this happen on both Mac OS X using Safari 4 and XP Pro using IE 7.
Does look odd, but kudos to Google for not stagnating. Google still has a little of the spirit of Heath Ledger left in it.
Go here http://www.google.fr/
Why the french is excluded in all of this mess? This is a blatant discrimination. More point to sue google for being racist. Gimme me my font back! In my 12″ lappy, it takes most of the screen with that giant font. Dammit!
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/now-s-u-p-e-r-sized.html
On this blog It looks like they announced but I don’t read that blog regularly and can’t spend time right now to check if it’s official announcement or not.
And yeah you can’t leave the feedback either. BAD Google. It should have option for normal font size. I hate bigger fonts everywhere.