Yesterday, Apple's Eddy Cue said searches on Google via Safari were down last month for the first time in 22 years. Then later, Google issued a statement saying there was an "increase in total queries coming from Apple’s devices and platforms."
Looks like Apple and Google are at odds with this data, for some reason. I find it somewhat funny and at the same time, somewhat concerning, to see this. But if you look at the wording, Google usage on Safari can be down while at the same time, it can be up on Apple devices since people can be using the Google app or Chrome or other apps to search Google, outside of Safari.
Bloomberg reported:
Beyond that upheaval, AI is already making gains with consumers. Cue noted that searches on Safari dipped for the first time last month, which he attributed to people using AI. Cue said he believes that AI search providers, including OpenAI, Perplexity AI Inc. and Anthropic PBC, will eventually replace standard search engines like Alphabet’s Google. He said he believes Apple will bring those options to Safari in the future.
Google's stock price dropped 8% after that news, so Google issued this statement later that night:
We continue to see overall query growth in Search. That includes an increase in total queries coming from Apple’s devices and platforms. More generally, as we enhance Search with new features, people are seeing that Google Search is more useful for more of their queries — and they’re accessing it for new things and in new ways, whether from browsers or the Google app, using their voice or Google Lens. We’re excited to continue this innovation and look forward to sharing more at Google I/O.
So which is it? Are people using Google less on Apple devices or more? Who is lying here? Or is it just Safari specifically?
I suspect that is the thing - Apple spoke specifically about Google searches on Safari being down. But Google is saying across Apple devices, Google searches are up. So what Google is saying is that overall, people are searching Google more on Apple devices, despite Google searches on Safari being down. So maybe people are using the Google App, or downloaded Chrome or another browser and are using Google Search that way....
So both statements can be true; Google searches on Safari can be down and decreasing, while Google searches on Apple devices can be up and increasing.
Of course Google’s statement didn’t specifically mention Safari. So there is that. 🧑💻
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 8, 2025
Forum discussion at X.
