Google Pixel phones may soon allow users to choose their default search engine from a range of options, including Bing and DuckDuckGo. This feature was discovered in the latest Android 14 QPR 2 Beta 3, which includes a new version of the Pixel Launcher. The launcher has a hidden settings menu called “Search Engine”, which lets users select the app they want to use to search the web. This would affect the search and content on the home screen of the Pixel devices.
The news was first reported by @Nail_Sadykov, a known tipster on Twitter, who also shared some screenshots of the feature. He also found similar “Search engine choice” flags in the Chrome browser, which could indicate that Google is planning to offer users more choices of search engines when they first set up their devices.
This move by Google could be related to the ongoing antitrust case against the company, which accuses it of running a monopoly in the search engine market. Google is facing a lawsuit from the US Justice Department and attorneys general of eight states, who claim that Google has locked down almost every avenue through which consumers might find a different search engine. The tech giant also pays $10 billion a year to Apple to keep Google as the default search engine in iOS devices.
Google has not officially confirmed or commented on the new feature, and it is unclear when it will be available to the public. However, some Pixel users who have installed the beta version of Android 14 have reported seeing the option to change their search engine. This could be a sign that Google is testing the feature and preparing to roll it out soon.
Sources