After Apple and Safari, it’s the turn of Pixel users to have the possibility of choosing a default search engine other than Google. Here again, the Mountain View firm deployed this functionality in response to the DMA, which requires it to open its ecosystem to competition. We will not complain.
The Digital Markets Act continues to shake up the habits of tech giants. At the end of January, Apple detailed all the changes that would soon be made within its ecosystem. Among the latter, we notably found the possibility of choosing a default browser other than Safari on iOS, something which has never been possible until now. However, the Cupertino company is not the only one to have had its shoulders raised by Europe on this point.
Google has also been happy until now to impose its own search engine on its smartphones. Indeed, Pixels all have a search bar at the bottom of their home screen which, once used, of course redirects to a Google search. Why deprive yourself of it after all? Well, not according to the European Commission, which asked the manufacturer to open the Pixels to competition.
On the same topic — Pixel: this annoying bug is fixed with the latest Android update
You can now replace Google with another search engine on Pixel
Recently, it has been possible to choose which search engine appears at the bottom of your screen if you have a Pixel. Your smartphone should notify you of this new feature once you have installed the update, via an update inviting you, if you wish, to select another search engine. You will then have access to a list including the main engines of the moment, such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Brave and of course… Google.
It’s a safe bet that this feature will only be available in Europe, as Google has no strategic interest in sharing it with the rest of the world. The same goes for the rest of the Android ecosystem. If it is still too early to definitively rule out this possibility, it is better not to expect a small gift from the firm.
The Pixel Launcher is starting to roll out a new “search engine” settings page that lets you change the search provider used for the search bar on the home screen.
One user tells me they received a notification from the Search Engine Selector app to choose their search engine.… pic.twitter.com/mypwdOQWrE
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 15, 2024