UK Regulator Steps In: Android, Chrome Users May Have to Repick Their Search Engine Every Year

If the new rules go into effect, Android phone and Chrome browser users won't just get asked "which search engine would you like to use" once during setup — the system will prompt them again every single year. This is the most concrete change in the UK Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) latest proposal: turning the choice screen from a "one-time setup" into an "annual reminder."

This time, the CMA is targeting the two entry points where Google's grip is tightest: the Android operating system and the Chrome browser. According to the CMA's proposal, Google and Android phone manufacturers would be required to display a search platform choice screen the first time a user powers on their device or opens Chrome, then show the prompt again annually. The second proposal would allow users to choose an AI assistant, provided those assistants meet certain technical and safety requirements. The third requires all search services to clearly label sources when displaying results, so users can identify and click through to the original publisher's content.

It's worth noting that UK users can technically already choose their own search engine on Android and Chrome, so in some sense this proposal is codifying existing practice into formal regulation. The real novelty lies in the "annual repeat prompt" — a mechanism that has never existed before.

CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said: "The way people search for information is changing, and new services are bringing opportunities for innovation and competition. We've listened carefully to feedback and responded quickly to the rise of AI assistants — more and more people are using AI assistants as search services, yet these assistants currently aren't included in Google's choice screen. This is about preparing choice for people in the UK, so they can freely pick the search service they want as these new services enter the market."

Gemini Locked Into Google Search — AI Assistant Choice Hasn't Actually Arrived Yet

This statement points to the most glaring gap in the entire proposal: Google's Gemini is currently still tightly integrated into Google Search, and users have no way to swap it out. In other words, the CMA's "AI assistant choice" clause doesn't yet have a real, operational counterpart anywhere in Google's product lineup — this recommendation looks more like laying groundwork for market changes still to come.

By comparison, Apple has reportedly already added a private technical interface in macOS 27 and iOS 27 that lets apps swap out Siri's AI backend for third-party models, such as Claude. This move has been read as a possible pre-emptive response to upcoming AI assistant regulations, though it currently remains an undisclosed, system-level adjustment.

This proposal didn't come out of nowhere. The CMA already introduced related measures in early 2026, then on June 3 began allowing publishers to opt their content out of being used in AI-generated results, followed by fair Google search ranking and data portability requirements introduced on June 17. Europe and several other regions have long required phone makers to show search engine and browser choice screens when users first set up their devices — this CMA proposal essentially extends "first-time choice" into "annual choice," while also folding AI assistants and content attribution into the discussion.

The proposal has not yet been finalized as official rules — the implementation timeline and details are still pending further announcement from the CMA.