Google Provides Choice To Android Users To Select Alternative Search Engine

By far the most important area of ​​Google is search because it is closely linked to the advertising business – and that is the main source of income for the group. On Android, competitors previously had to pay if they wanted to appear in the settings. It changes.

In Europe, but not only here, but Google is also repeatedly criticized or under observation by the competition authorities. Offers from competitors can be set on Android as a search engine, but if you want to appear in this list, you previously had to pay for it.

The whole thing has been through auctions since 2019. Search engines that decided to do so could then appear in a list on new Android devices when setting up the device – so the user had the chance to turn away from Google right from the start.

But now Google is moving away from it after a relatively short time and will make this selection available to everyone free of charge. In a blog post, Google writes that consumers will see a significantly larger number of providers: “We are now making some final changes to the selection screen, including free participation for eligible search providers. We will also increase the number of search providers displayed on the screen “, writes Google director Oliver Bethell.

Five To Seven Search Engines

The changes will be implemented in September or will apply from this point in time. However, the selection will not be unlimited: The five most popular search engines in each country will be added, including Google, but the order will always be reshuffled. This is based on data from StatCounter. There will be a total of twelve options, the remaining seven search engines will be selected at random. The only requirement here is that they have to be general search engines – price search engines, for example, are out of the question.