Gen Z's Preference for TikTok Search Drops 50%
Gen Z's preference for using TikTok over Google as a search tool has dropped by 50%, according to new data. The shift suggests a fragmentation of discovery habits among younger users, with only 14% now saying they are more likely to use ChatGPT than Google for search.
- The drop in preference for TikTok over Google as a search tool among Gen Z was from 8% in 2024 to 4% in 2026, according to a February 2026 report from Adobe Express. - Despite the drop in preference, overall use of TikTok for search is growing, with 49% of U.S. consumers reporting they have used the platform as a search engine, an increase from 41% in 2024. - While TikTok's search preference is waning among Gen Z, Google still holds the top spot as this demographic's preferred starting point for search at 46%. - In the broader search landscape, ChatGPT is twice as likely to be relied on as a search engine than TikTok (14% vs 7% of consumers), with similar preference levels across all age groups, including 12% of Gen Z. - When it comes to trust, 39% of Gen Z view social platforms as less credible than open-web sources, and 49% actively verify online information by checking trusted, credible sources. - This shift in search behavior is impacting publishers, with some reporting click-through rate drops of over 50% when Google's AI Overviews appear above their articles in search results. - For news consumption, about half of TikTok users under 30 use the platform to get news, and 38% of adults aged 18-29 get news from social media influencers. - The underlying driver for Gen Z's use of social platforms for search is a desire for authenticity and a preference for visual, user-generated content over traditional SEO rankings and paid placements.
