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Know Why Tim Cook Relies on Google Search Engine for Apple Users

By Bhupinder Kour
November 20, 2018 2. min read
Last update on: January 21, 2021

From comparing their latest OS versions to bringing their security levels face to face, we have left no stone unturned while comparing Android vs iOS. We have dug out each and every pointer to split the world into two halves – those favouring Apple’s iOS and those bragging about Google’s Android.

And why not, after all even the tech giants are introducing features and services to spice up the battle. They are ditching each other’s services to prove themselves ahead of the other, an example of which is that Apple removed Google apps like Google Maps and YouTube from their smartphones’ screens.

But, there are still various exceptions that make the users go tight-lipped. There are still numerous instances that define the lifelong and mutually beneficial relationship between the two brands – the other side of this rivalry.

Any guesses?

Here’s the prominent one:-

Apple Uses Google Search Engine on Its Devices

Despite the growing competition, Apple chooses Google Search Engine over Bing, DuckDuckGo, and other available options as the default search engine for iPhone and other iOS devices.

The tech giant considers Google’s as the best search engine for the iOS users, despite being vocal about privacy issues and challenging big companies to de-identify the user data and Google found using user’s sensitive information for its business. This makes the users question why Apple still relies to prefer Google Search engine when it is bounded to privacy concerns.

Well, the answer to this question is a two-fold.

Firstly, Google pays $9 billion to Apple annually for remaining the go-to search engine in iPhones for Safari and Siri. And as per the recent news, this Apple Billion-Dollar deal number might increase to $12 billion in 2019.

Secondly, Tim Cook himself agreed that there’s no alternative to Google search engine when it comes to offering exemplary user experience. He mentioned that they wish to provide a seamless and effective experience to their iOS users and thus, prefer Google over other options.

But, at the same time, when asked regarding the privacy and security issues related to the Google services, he revealed that though Google is the default search engine, Safari is the web browser on iOS devices which is fully in their control.

He further added that Safari has built-in privacy protections such as intelligent tracker prevention and private web browsing, using which they prevent ads from dangling from one site to another or tracing the users’ browsing habits.  In this way, they are trying to come up with a way of providing the exceptional and secure user experience.

While Google Search Engine’s use in Apple devices is highly in consideration these days, it is not the only Google product that Apple uses. It has been found that Apple uses Google servers as well.

Let’s read more into it.

Apple Uses Google’s Cloud Services

Though it has been rumoured that Apple uses Google’s cloud services in 2016, the tech giant has recently confirmed that they have replaced Amazon web services and Microsoft Azure with Google’s cloud services for storing data remotely and providing the iOS users with better storage management facilities.

After seeing both side of the Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS story – a case where the two tech giants work both against and alongside – one question that arises here is – Does the renowned ‘Android vs iOS’ debate still holds true? What do you think?

Bhupinder Kour
Content Writer
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