Google to allow users select default search engine on Android phones
- ByStartupStory | January 27, 2023
After failing to obtain a court order to overturn an antitrust ruling, Google announced on Wednesday that users in India will be able to select a default search engine on Android-based smartphones.
OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) will be able to licence individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices as part of the significant changes the tech giant will make to its platforms and business in India in the aftermath of the landmark CCI ruling.
Google is also updating Android compatibility requirements to make it easier for partners to create non-compatible or forked variants, according to the company’s blog.
Last week, the Supreme Court refused to stay a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order fining Google Rs 1,337.76 crore for abusing its dominant position with its popular Android operating system, which powers 97% of India’s approximately 60 crore smartphones.
“We take our commitment to comply with local laws and regulations in India seriously. The CCI’s recent directives for Android and Play require us to make significant changes for India, and today we’ve informed the CCI of how we will be complying with their directives,” Google said in the blog.
The modifications include allowing original equipment manufacturers and smartphone manufacturers to licence individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices.
“Android users have always been able to customise their devices to suit their preferences,” it said. “Indian users will now have the option to choose their default search engine via a choice screen that will soon start to appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in India.”
Google licences its Android operating system to smartphone manufacturers in exchange for terms such as mandatory pre-installation of its own apps. This condition was deemed anti-competitive, but the company contends that such agreements contribute to Android’s free status.
The order requested that Google allow the uninstallation of its apps such as Google Maps and YouTube, which are currently not able to be deleted from Android phones that come pre-installed.
“We’re updating the Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes for partners to build non-compatible or forked variants,” Google said in the blog.
It added that user choice billing will be available to all apps and games starting next month, and that developers will be able to offer users the option to choose an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system when purchasing in-app digital content through user choice billing.
Android has always supported the installation of apps from a variety of sources, including via sideloading, which involves app downloads directly from a developer’s website. We recently made changes to the Android installation flow and auto-updating capability for sideloaded apps and app stores while ensuring users understand the potential security risks,” it said.
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