Google paid Apple to be iPhone’s default search engine Here’s how much

Google has started its part of the trial in the antitrust action it is facing in the US. According to the US Justice Department, Google paid to be the default search engine on browsers and mobile devices, so illegally strengthening its monopoly in internet search. A report that came shortly before the tech giant’s defense at the trial’s resumption stated that it paid Apple billions of dollars to maintain Google as the default search engine on its products.

It is reported that Google paid Apple between $10 billion and $20 billion during the trial as a condition of a deal to make Google the default search engine on Safari.

There is, however, an accurate figure today. The iPhone manufacturer reportedly received $18 billion in 2021, according to a New York Times report that cites two people with knowledge of the deal.

According to the report, Google expressed worry over Apple’s advancements in search technology. Spotlight, an iPhone search function from Apple, started displaying consumers better online results similar to those on Google.

After then, according to reports, Google tried to find a method to undercut Spotlight by creating an iPhone version of its own. Additionally, it aimed to convert more iPhone owners from using Apple’s Safari web browser to Google’s Chrome browser.

The CEO of Microsoft talked about the same subject.

Satya Nadella

But from a somewhat different perspective. While the New York report said that Google was worried about Apple’s efforts to advance its search technology, Nadella’s remarks seemed to indicate that Apple was worried that Google would have convinced customers to switch to Chrome by using its well-known services like Gmail.

Nadella added that money was a constraints, but Microsoft also desired to be the default browser on Apple products. According to his evidence, Microsoft was reportedly prepared to spend up to $15 billion to replace Apple’s default search engine.

Google, meanwhile, has maintained that consumers have the choice to customize their primary search engine, even though it is its default engine.