Google is testing a new effect that hides everything on the homepage apart from the search box and company logo.
The other elements - such as drop menus for images, video and news and a sign in for Gmail - appear hidden unless the cursor is moved, which triggers a fade effect that restores these features.
However, Google is also testing other versions which restore some of the traditional elements but not all of them such as the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button.
A spokesman for Google said: "We test hundreds of things everyday on the homepage and nothing should be read into it in terms of product change."
Historically, Google's sparse appearance is due to a strict adherence to the company's rule of having no more than 28 words on the homepage, although keen observers have noticed that this has crept up to 30 recently.
If Google does adopt a new, sparser look, it comes at a time when its rivals are investing in busier, more cluttered homepages.
Last month, Yahoo! unveiled a that enables users to personalise its appearance and create links to social networking sites.
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