Apple is ditching Bing and will now use Google to power the default search engine for Siri, Search within iOS (iOS search bar), and Spotlight on Mac.
TechCrunch reported Monday that Apple users will now see search results powered by Google, instead of Bing, when using those tools.
For example, when an iPhone user asks Siri a question that needs a search engine result, the voice assistant will now pull from Google, not Bing.
Apple will still use Bing for image search queries using Siri or Spotlight on Mac, TechCrunch reported. Apple said the move was done for consistency; its Safari browser uses Google as the default search engine.
In a statement, the company told TechCrunch that “we have strong relationships with Google and Microsoft and remain committed to delivering the best user experience possible.”
Google is reportedly paying Apple $3 billion this year to remain as the default search engine on iPhones and iPads.
Apple today released macOS High Sierra; it debuted iOS 11 last week.
Bing, meanwhile, has quietly been a moneymaker for Microsoft despite Google’s dominance in the search engine market. But while its search revenue increased 8 percent last quarter, Bing’s ad growth rate has been stagnant.
Microsoft has inked other deals to get Bing on as many devices as possible, doing similar partnerships with Yahoo, Amazon, and others.
The search engine is also still making its way into popular culture. “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver called out Bing during his show on Sunday night.
“Online search engines are, as we all know, dominated by one major player. That’s right, say it with me … Bing!” Oliver joked. “That’s right, Bing. The best way to Google something.”
