Google Officially Retires the Mobile Usability Report, Mobile-Friendly Test Tool, and Mobile-Friendly Test API
Google’s mobile usability tools are no longer available as recently Google has dropped the Google Search Console Mobile Usability report, the Mobile-Friendly Test tool, and the Mobile-Friendly Test API. On December 4, 2023, Google officially retired the Mobile Usability report, Mobile-Friendly Test tool, and Mobile-Friendly Test API. These tools were used to help website owners ensure that their websites were mobile-friendly. Google has stated that these tools are no longer necessary because mobile-friendliness is now a standard part of website design.
What Google Posted in its Report?
“Also starting December 1, 2023, we’ll be retiring Search Console’s “Mobile Usability” report, the Mobile-Friendly Test tool, and Mobile-Friendly Test API. This doesn’t mean that mobile usability isn’t important for success with Google Search. It remains critical for users, who are using mobile devices more than ever, and as such, it remains a part of our page experience guidance. But in the nearly ten years since we initially launched this report, many other robust resources for evaluating mobile usability have emerged, including Lighthouse from Chrome.”
With the increasing prevalence of mobile internet usage, Google has shifted its focus to Page Experience signals. It gives a more comprehensive check of a website’s overall user experience, including factors such as loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Also, website owners are encouraged to utilize Page Experience signals to optimize their websites for mobile users.
While Google retires its mobile usability tools, it doesn’t mean that mobile usability is not vital for Google Search. It will remain a part of page experience guidance.
What It Means for Marketers and Website Owners?
The retirement of Google’s mobile usability tools marks a shift in Google’s approach to evaluating mobile-friendliness. Instead of relying on specific tools, Google now emphasizes Page Experience signals, which provide a broader assessment of a website’s overall user experience on mobile devices. It means that SEO professionals and website owners should focus on optimizing their websites for factors like loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Also, if you were using these tools for reports, you would not be able to use them now. So, ensure your websites are mobile-friendly with the help of other tools like Lighthouse.
