iOS 17 added option for default search engine when private browsing in Safari

Apple added an option in iOS 17 to set a default search engine when browsing in Safari’s private mode. Until now, this was only possible for the browser as a whole. The feature came out during a lawsuit.

By default, the search engine is set to Google, but users can now also choose a different search engine in private mode, writes Bloomberg. The options are Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia. The option can be found under Settings-Safari. There was already an option to set the default search engine, but now there is a second option.

The fact that this exists emerged in the lawsuit surrounding Google’s search monopoly. Former Google CEO John Giannandrea, who now works at Apple, mentioned the option during his witness hearing. One of the central points of the lawsuit is how difficult it is for users to set up their own search engine. Safari on iOS is one of the biggest browsers on the mobile market.