There have been rumors for years that Apple is developing its own search engine. It should compete with Google. However, the people appointed for this have returned to the competitor…
No search engine from Apple for the time being
Is Apple working on its own search engine? Those rumors have been going on for years. In 2018, the company bought the start-up Laserlike, which was founded by former employees of Google. One of them, Srinivasan Venkatachary, has since led a team of more than 200 people. They work on Spotlight and the results that Siri gives when you ask something.
It is generally assumed that this team at Apple also developed its own search engine. However, both Venkatachary and the other founders of Laserlike are now employed by Google again. According to the website The Information the launch of the search engine is therefore now very uncertain. If that happens at all, it will take at least another four years. A lot of extra money would be needed to make a good alternative to Google.
Google pays Apple $18 to $20 billion a year to remain the default search engine on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. A considerable amount, but with its own search engine, the Cupertino company could probably earn even more.
Moreover, this alliance between Google and Apple is under the magnifying glass of antitrust commissions. Together they have an enormous position of power, which means that smaller search engines can hardly intervene.
Alternatives to Google
For now, Google will remain the default search engine on your Apple devices. Yet there are plenty of alternatives. For example, on your iPhone you can choose Bing (from Microsoft), Yahoo, the privacy-friendly DuckDuckGo or the environmentally conscious Ecosia. Fortunately, changing your default search engine is a piece of cake.
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