Google’s Billion-Dollar Secret to Force iPhone Owners Into Using Its Services
Did you know that Google pays Apple billions of dollars every year to remain the default search engine on your iPhone?
Google revealed in court recently that it paid $26.3 billion overall in 2021 to be the default search engine across various services. Google didn’t specify who got what, but the majority of it likely went to Apple.
According to a report by Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, Google paid Apple a whopping $18 billion in 2021 alone to keep its search engine the default on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
While Google’s payments to Apple have reportedly been reduced to $8 billion in 2023 due to that federal antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against Google in 2020, it’s still an incredible amount of money we’re talking about.
Neither Google nor Apple have publicly confirmed the exact amount of money Google shells out to Apple to be the default search engine on Apple devices, but they have acknowledged its existence in the past.
The antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against Google in 2020 is still ongoing and could have major implications for the future of the online search industry.
The lawsuit claims Google has unlawfully maintained its monopoly in the online search market by entering into exclusive agreements with Apple and other device makers to prevent them from using other search engines.
Google denies the allegations and argues its agreements with Apple and other device makers are beneficial for consumers and competition. In a blog post, Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google and Alphabet, commented on the lawsuit, saying, “In sum, people don’t use Google because they have to—they use it because they want to.”
The short answer is that Google is the dominant search engine in the world, with a market share of over 90%, and it wants it to stay that way.
However, it faces competition from other search engines, such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia, that offer different features and benefits to users. For example, some of these search engines claim to respect your privacy, protect the environment, or donate to charity.
Google makes most of its money from advertising, which relies on collecting and analysing your deeply personal data to show you relevant ads. Therefore, Google wants to keep as many users as possible using its search engine so it can maintain its dominance and profitability.
The short answer is that Google is the dominant search engine in the world, with a market share of over 90%, and it wants it to stay that way.
However, it faces competition from other search engines, such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia, that offer different features and benefits to users. For example, some of these search engines claim to respect your privacy, protect the environment, or donate to charity.
Google makes most of its money from advertising, which relies on collecting and analysing your deeply personal data to show you relevant ads. Therefore, Google wants to keep as many users as possible using its search engine, so it can maintain its dominance and profitability.
As an iPhone user, you may not be aware of the deal between Google and Apple, or you may not care about it. After all, Google is a convenient and powerful search engine that can answer almost any question you have. You may also use other Google products, such as Gmail, YouTube, or Google Maps, that integrate with your iPhone.
However, you may also have some concerns about Google’s practises, such as how it tracks your online activity, how it uses your personal data and how it influences your search results. You may also want to try other search engines that offer different features and benefits, such as privacy, security or social responsibility.
How to change your default search engine on your iPhone
Fortunately, you have the option to change your default search engine on your iPhone, and it’s very easy to do. Here’s how:
Open the Settings app on your iPhone
Scroll down and tap Safari
Tap Search Engine
Choose the search engine you want to use from the list. You can choose to stick with Google or go with Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia
Close the Settings app and open Safari. You will see that your new search engine is now the default
Google and Apple have a lucrative deal that benefits both of them but may not benefit you as an iPhone user. Google pays Apple billions of dollars to keep its search engine the default on your iPhone, which helps Google maintain its dominance and profitability and helps Apple fund its innovation and growth.
