'There's no price Microsoft could pay': Apple says don't worry, Safari will never force you to use Bing for search

Date:
Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:54:25 +0000

Description:
Alongside Google being declared a 'monopolist' by a US Federal Judge for search, comments from Apple's Eddy Cue note a switch to Bing as the default search engine is unlikely.

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In the world of search engines, Google is pretty dominant and, to a degree, rightfully so, as its very good at what it does. Whether you type in a basic query or one written in a conversational tone, it usually displays the result youre after. Its even good at fixing typos.

Still, too much dominance can be an issue. Earlier this week, a US Federal Judge declared Google a monopolist, and it has continued to behave in that same way to maintain its status.

One way its kept that is the simple fact that Google is the default search engine on countless devices, including Android phones or Chromebooks and the iPhone . For the latter, Google pays a hefty sum to Apple, and even with this ruling, it seems that the Cupertino-based tech giant doesnt see another option.

Apples Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, says , I dont believe theres a price in the world that Microsoft could offer us. They offered to give us Bing for free. They could give us the whole company. Apple users fear not (Image credit: Future)

Its a strong statement and one that essentially confirms there isnt much to worry about in terms of Google departing since there isnt really a strong alternative with enough smarts or even potential functionality.

Interestingly enough, any iPhone or iPad, or Mac owner can change the default search engine within Safari. You can even get an alternative browser like Google Chrome , Arc, Firefox , or countless others depending on the OS.

And now, you dont need to Google how to do it. You can open Settings on iOS
or iPadOS, navigate to Safari, and select Search Engine. You then select from the list of five options: Google, Yahoo, Bing , DuckDuckGo , or Ecosia .

So you do have the power to change, but going back to 2023, Eddy Cue, while testifying, stated there wasnt a valid alternative for customers, and Apple does give folks an easy way to change it if they do so.

Given the latest ruling, it seems that Cues opinion hasnt changed and that there isn't much of a chance of the default search engine changing anytime soon. Still, though, if youd rather ask Bing or ponder on DuckDuckGo, you can always switch from Google chances are you might switch back. You Might Also Like I've been using Google Search for 25 years and AI overview is the ... Judge rules Google has illegal search monopoly and you might not ... Google Lens now lets you search with your voice and images ...



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/theres-no-price-microsoft-could-pay-apple- says-dont-worry-safari-will-never-force-you-to-use-bing-for-search


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