Bing fling sting: Apple dumps Microsoft search engine for Google | Latest Information

Apple will drop Microsoft's Bing as the default web search provider for its iOS and macOS device.

The Cupertino Newton Slinger said yesterday it would use Google Search as the default for Siri search, the iOS search box and Spotlight on macOS. Google is already the default search engine for the Safari web browser on Macs, iPhones, iPads and all that's left of the iPod line.

The transition will be spread to all users over the course of the day. Apple said the goal is to provide users with a single search engine between its iOS and Mac platforms.

"Link to Google if the web search provider for Siri, Search within iOS and Spotlight on Mac will allow these services to have a consistent web browsing experience with default in Safari," said Apple to El Reg. Yes, really.

"We have strong relationships with Google and Microsoft and committed to delivering the best user experience."

Microsoft, meanwhile, is a brave face.

"We appreciate our relationship with Apple and look forward to continuing in many ways, including Bing Image Search in Siri, to work with them to provide the best experience for our clients," said Redmond. statement to The Register said.

"Bing has grown every year since its launch, now spreading more than a third of all PC search volumes in the US and growing worldwide. It also empowers many other partners, including Yahoo (Verizon), AOL and Amazon, as well as the multilingual abilities of Twitter. "

"As we move forward, we are confident that Bing will be at the forefront of providing a more intelligent search experience for our clients and partners."

The move could trigger a warming of Apple-Google relationships a little over three years after the former announced in the WWDC. This would be the latter's search services in favor of Microsoft's Bing.

At that time, Apple was still cooling off its bitter "thermonuclear" feud with Google and its Android chums about allegations that biz copied elements of iOS. These include legal proceedings and the end of long-term cooperation (both legally and otherwise) between the two technology titans.

According to August's Netmarketshare statistics, Google controls more than 80 percent of the global desktop search query market. Bing is a distant second with 7.04 percent. It's even worse on the phone: Google has 97 percent in the arena.