Evidence mounting that Apple is preparing alternative to Google search

AppleInsider

Industry sources, plus changes to how iOS 14 returns web search results, back up previous reports that Apple is working on its own universal search engine.

Siri on iOS 14

As Google faces a Justice Department antitrust suit over paying to be Apple's default search engine on iPhones, a new report again claims that Apple is planning to produce its own alternative.

According to the Financial Times, unnamed sources in the technology industry have said that Apple is planning to replace Google search, much as it did with introducing Apple Maps instead of Google Maps.

"That web search capability marks an important advance in Apple's in-house development," says the Financial Times, "and could form the foundation of a fuller attack on Google, according to several people in the industry."

Aside from this claimed information from new sources, the report is chiefly a recap of previously reported indications of Apple's plans. Chief among those is the way that iOS 14 has altered how it sources and delivers search results.

"In a little-noticed change to the latest version of the iPhone operating system, iOS 14," continues the Financial Times, "Apple has begun to show its own search results and link directly to websites when users type queries from its home screen."

AppleInsider discovered evidence of this in August 2020, when comparing iOS 13 and iOS 14 showed a difference in how much search results were pulled from Google directly.

Similarly, the new report repeats the claim that AppleBot -- Apple's own web crawler service -- has seen increased activity. AppleInsider testing didn't back that up, nor has our research confirmed the Financial Times assertion that Apple has been recruiting more search engineers.

However, the Financial Times specifically refers to the work of John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. He joined Apple from Google two years ago, and has since said that there is practically no part of Apple that isn't actively engaged with both ML and AI>.

Apple reportedly developed Apple Maps at least in part because Google had refused to bring turn-by-turn navigation to its iOS app, despite being long established on Android. There doesn't appear to be an equivalent impetus for Apple to replace Google search, though it is possible that the DOJ suit may affect the situation.

revenant

their own? I wonder if that will give them more trouble than it is worth with the EU and US congress. even though it is a choice which you would use.

Pascalxx

I would love this rumor to be true. I have been looking for a more privacy-focussed alternative to Google Search, but the quality of search results on DuckDuckGo doesn’t quite cut it for me.
However, developing a search engine seems like a gigantic project - I agree that there would likely be more indications if Apple had indeed invested serious resources in that field.
I’m cautiously optimistic.

Gilliam_Bates

I have an idea. Apple should end its current contract with Google. Then instead send them a $10B invoice for developing an Apple search engine and not using Google's …thereby saving them from the DOJ.
  

auxio

I could see many benefits to this for both Apple and device owners.  Apple would have a lot more context information than Google does (e.g. what apps you were recently using, usage patterns, etc).  Plus deeper integration with Siri and other places where search is used under-the-hood.

baconstang

It's about time, sheesh.

mike1

Wait for it...

Apple will develop and release a competitor to Google Search. Google will point to Apple and say "How can we have a monopoly? Apple has billions of devices in the world where their search option is the default".  DOJ will lose their case and move on to Apple complaining their Google competitor is now too dominant.

razorpit

Pascalxx said:

I would love this rumor to be true. I have been looking for a more privacy-focussed alternative to Google Search, but the quality of search results on DuckDuckGo doesn’t quite cut it for me.
However, developing a search engine seems like a gigantic project - I agree that there would likely be more indications if Apple had indeed invested serious resources in that field.
I’m cautiously optimistic.

I’m a big Duck Duck Go proponent. I use to have to fall back to Google for technical/troubleshooting searches but I find myself having to do that less and less. I don’t trust Google at all when it comes to political/current event searches.

While I’ll give Apple a chance if these rumors are true, I can’t imagine them being any different from Google considering the “programming”/censorship in the News app now.

ITGUYINSD

If Apple Search is anything like Apple Maps or Siri, NO THANKS!  If someone can give me an alternative to Google Search that is AS GOOD, then I might switch, but I know, in fact, there isn't one.  Someone above said DuckDuckGo isn't as good, and ever try Bing?  It's a joke.   

Be careful what you wish for.

hmlongco

Pascalxx said:

I would love this rumor to be true. I have been looking for a more privacy-focussed alternative to Google Search, but the quality of search results on DuckDuckGo doesn’t quite cut it for me.

I have DuckDuckGo setup as my default "Home" browser screen and will always give it first crack at finding what I need to find. Then, if I'm not happy with the results I may do a Google search to back it up but DuckDuckGo is usually pretty good.

tommy65

ITGUYINSD said:

If Apple Search is anything like Apple Maps or Siri, NO THANKS!  If someone can give me an alternative to Google Search that is AS GOOD, then I might switch, but I know, in fact, there isn't one.  Someone above said DuckDuckGo isn't as good, and ever try Bing?  It's a joke.   

Be careful what you wish for.

maps.me is an very good alternative for Google maps & Apple Maps. DDG is good but not as good as Google I do agree. Apple should improve Apple Maps and search that is key to hook me in. 

lkrupp

Google search is very, very good regardless of the privacy issue. Just like Apple Maps and Siri took years to catch up the same will be true of Apple’s in-house search engine. And like Apple Maps we will have to endure the carping and denigration of Apple’s search by the usual suspects telling us how bad it is and how far behind it is. 

In the end, operating system developers will likely be forced to make selection of both a browser and search engine part of the setup procedure. And why not force the selection of a music streaming service, a movie streaming service and an email client too. Can you call that “fair” competition? Let’s face it, the vast majority of users just use whatever their device ships with. Making them choose will just confuse the hell out of them.

george kaplan

Gilliam_Bates said:

I have an idea. Apple should end its current contract with Google. Then instead send them a $10B invoice for developing an Apple search engine and not using Google's …thereby saving them from the DOJ.
  

Google should encourage Apple Search, just to take the pressure off from DoJ. As long as the user can pick the engine, Google can still have its money from search, too. They just won’t be default, just as they aren’t default on Windows, yet they get dominant search business on Windows (not Bing).

ITGUYINSD

lkrupp said:

Google search is very, very good regardless of the privacy issue. Just like Apple Maps and Siri took years to catch up the same will be true of Apple’s in-house search engine. And like Apple Maps we will have to endure the carping and denigration of Apple’s search by the usual suspects telling us how bad it is and how far behind it is. 

In the end, operating system developers will likely be forced to make selection of both a browser and search engine part of the setup procedure. And why not force the selection of a music streaming service, a movie streaming service and an email client too. Can you call that “fair” competition? Let’s face it, the vast majority of users just use whatever their device ships with. Making them choose will just confuse the hell out of them.

As long as Apple Maps continues to make blatant mistakes on "best routes", I'll continue to criticize.  And Siri continues to embarrass me when I use it around family and friends and get wrong results.  I just really don't use it much anymore.

randominternetperson

ITGUYINSD said:

If Apple Search is anything like Apple Maps or Siri, NO THANKS!  If someone can give me an alternative to Google Search that is AS GOOD, then I might switch, but I know, in fact, there isn't one.  Someone above said DuckDuckGo isn't as good, and ever try Bing?  It's a joke.   

Be careful what you wish for.

Sounds like FUD to me.

I use Apple Maps exclusively and it works great for the directions I need.  It appears to be more limited in terms of finding businesses (e.g., a search for "swimming pool supplies"), but that's not my primary use case (which is getting me where I want to go).

And Bing works just fine as well.  What obscure searches are you doing that Bing (or DuckDuckGo) doesn't give you reasonable, useful results?  Google is insanely powerful, but, for my purposes, it's way more than I need.

Seriously, provide an example of a search query that Google nails that completely foils DDG or Bing.

wonkothesane

lkrupp said:

Google search is very, very good regardless of the privacy issue. Just like Apple Maps and Siri took years to catch up the same will be true of Apple’s in-house search engine. And like Apple Maps we will have to endure the carping and denigration of Apple’s search by the usual suspects telling us how bad it is and how far behind it is. 

In the end, operating system developers will likely be forced to make selection of both a browser and search engine part of the setup procedure. And why not force the selection of a music streaming service, a movie streaming service and an email client too. Can you call that “fair” competition? Let’s face it, the vast majority of users just use whatever their device ships with. Making them choose will just confuse the hell out of them.

While I fully agree in the “confusing” part having numerous anecdotal evidence, I’m not so sure regarding the “regardless” part in your opening statement. While no expert, I do believe that exactly this is the price to pay for an excellent search engine. Not to mention the sheer power Google is leveraging on their customers if they want to be on the first page of search results. And AMP is a story of its own. 

I’d hope that Apple eventually can overcome this if they really enter this area. 

NotoriousDEV

I’m sure Apple stockholders won’t be happy; that’s a big slice of revenue gone and given Apple’s privacy stance they won’t monetize the data to make up for it. 

For those saying this would put Apple in the crosshairs for monopoly rulings, I disagree. Apple customers willingly pay a premium for the quality of service - hw and sw - and security.  There are options. 

spice-boy

Does anyone know when iOS 14 will be released? 

Rayz2016

This is the first thing that came to mind when I read about the Vilynx buyout. 

A couple of Apple watchers reckon Cupertino has been indexing the web for quite some time, so a privacy-focussed search engine that can find results in images and videos seems like a no-brainier. 

And it takes Google out of the crosshairs and they’ll save a ton of money when they stop paying Apple for the privilege of being first choice. 

NotoriousDEV said:

I’m sure Apple stockholders won’t be happy; that’s a big slice of revenue gone and given Apple’s privacy stance they won’t monetize the data to make up for it. 

For those saying this would put Apple in the crosshairs for monopoly rulings, I disagree. Apple customers willingly pay a premium for the quality of service - hw and sw - and security.  There are options. 

Apple made about $260 billion last year, and unconfirmed estimates say that about $10 billion of that was from Google. With their own search engine tied to their own services, the user base will be further encased in an Apple bubble that companies will pay a fair whack to be inside, even if they’re subject to Apple’s privacy handcuffs. 

I’m pretty sure Apple shareholders won’t give a sh*t. 

spice-boy

NotoriousDEV said:

I’m sure Apple stockholders won’t be happy; that’s a big slice of revenue gone and given Apple’s privacy stance they won’t monetize the data to make up for it. 

For those saying this would put Apple in the crosshairs for monopoly rulings, I disagree. Apple customers willingly pay a premium for the quality of service - hw and sw - and security.  There are options. 

Apple has become a monopoly due to it's expansive halo of product and services. The App is a monopoly which dictates rates and it is the only way for a developer to sell an app for the worlds best phone. 

georgie01

ITGUYINSD said:

If Apple Search is anything like Apple Maps or Siri, NO THANKS!  If someone can give me an alternative to Google Search that is AS GOOD, then I might switch, but I know, in fact, there isn't one.  Someone above said DuckDuckGo isn't as good, and ever try Bing?  It's a joke.   

Be careful what you wish for.

All mapping apps will make mistakes, so you can’t point to singular mistakes in Apple Maps and ignore singular mistakes in Google Maps. I haven’t used Google Maps in several years and somehow I’ve managed to get everywhere I’ve needed to using Apple Maps...

And I’ve also been using DuckDuckGo for about a year and strangely haven’t had any issues finding what I’m looking for.