In a move that could shift the balance of power in online search, Apple has quietly begun rolling out its own AI-powered search engine across select regions and devices in April 2025. The new engine, integrated directly into Spotlight Search and Safari, is designed to offer users faster, more contextual, and privacy-first results — without relying on Google.
This development, long rumored in tech circles, is now official — and it\’s positioning Apple to challenge Google’s dominance in one of the most lucrative corners of the internet.
How Apple’s Search Engine Works
The new search platform leverages Apple’s proprietary large language model (LLM) technology, codenamed “Ajax”, which the company has been training over the past two years. Unlike traditional keyword-based search, Apple’s tool uses AI to understand the intent behind queries and deliver semantically rich, personalized answers.
Key features include:
- Natural language interaction through Spotlight and Siri
- Context-aware results based on user preferences, device history, and app usage
- No data sharing with third parties, aligning with Apple’s privacy-first philosophy
Source: Bloomberg Tech, April 2, 2025
Why This Matters
This is Apple’s most direct step yet toward search independence. For years, Google has paid Apple billions annually to remain the default search provider on iOS. But with growing antitrust pressure and Apple’s expanding AI ecosystem, that relationship may be coming to an end.
If Apple can deliver a better search experience built into its devices — particularly for GenAI-assisted queries and smart assistant tasks — it could redirect significant user behavior away from Google and reshape how web discovery works.
Current Rollout and What’s Next
As of April 2025, Apple’s new search engine is being tested in:
- Spotlight Search on macOS 14.5 and iOS 18 beta builds
- Safari smart address bar (URL + AI summary integration)
- Siri responses involving local and factual queries
Industry insiders expect a full launch to be announced at WWDC 2025 this June, alongside updates to Apple Intelligence (Apple’s branded LLM suite), iOS 18, and new developer APIs for AI integration.
Google’s Response
Google has acknowledged the development but remains confident in its own AI strategy. Its Gemini-powered search continues to dominate mobile and desktop queries, but competition from Apple and Microsoft (with Bing + ChatGPT) is intensifying in 2025.
Market analysts note that while Apple is late to web search, its advantage lies in control of the device layer — meaning it can gradually shift billions of users toward its own search ecosystem without requiring a browser switch.
Conclusion
With this quiet but significant rollout, Apple has signaled its intent to become a major player in AI-powered search. As user expectations evolve and privacy becomes a top priority, Apple’s alternative to Google could become a defining moment in the future of how we interact with the web.
2025 may mark the beginning of the next great search war — and Apple just took its first public shot.
