Google announced Tuesday that it’s going to redirect country code top-level domain names (ccTLD) for Google Search to google.com over the coming months to “streamline people’s experience on Search,” according to a blog post.
The change means that if, for example, you used google.ng (for Nigeria) or google.com.br (for Brazil), you’ll see google.com in your address bar instead. As the change “gradually” rolls out, “you may be prompted to re-enter some of your Search preferences in the process,” the company says.
Nothing about your experience should otherwise change. “It’s important to note that while this update will change what people see in their browser address bar, it won’t affect the way Search works, nor will it change how we handle obligations under national laws,” Google says.
Google notes that, since 2017, it has provided “the same experience with local results for everyone using Search” if they were using their country’s ccTLD or google.com. “Because of this improvement, country-level domains are no longer necessary.”
