Bing could grace many Android phones in Europe following antitrust settlement

Bing Wallpapers (Image credit: Dan Thorp-Lancaster / Windows Central)

What you need to know

Bing will appear in a download prompt for Android users in several European countries.
Bing will be one of four choices in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, and eight other countries.
As always, people can still choose whichever search engine they would like on Android phones.

Bing, info.com, and several other search engines might see more usage on new Android phones in Europe. New Android phones will see a download prompt for several non-Google search engine apps in Europe going forward. The move comes as part of an antitrust settlement in Europe. The right to be one of the choices shown was auctioned off, and Google shared the results of those auctions this week (via Bloomberg).

According to Google's data, info.com will be one of the options in all 31 countries, PrivacyWall will be a choice in 22 countries, and GMX will be listed in 16 countries. Microsoft's Bing will appear as an option in 13 countries, and DuckDuckGo will hold a slot in just eight countries.

Google has a 97 percent market share for search in Europe, and the European Union ruled that Alphabet Inc. had to take steps to reduce its massive foothold on the European search market.

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.