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UK Android and Chrome users could soon be asked to pick a search service when they first use Google’s products. They would then be asked again every year. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published strengthened proposals on September 23, 2026. For the first time, AI assistants could appear on that same choice screen next to traditional search engines.
What the Android and Chrome search choice screen would change
Under the proposal, Google would have to do three things in the UK:
- Choice at first use: Android and Chrome users get a choice of search services when they first use them.
- A yearly re-prompt: Users are asked again each year to choose their default search provider.
- Room for AI assistants: AI assistants can join the same screen if they meet the CMA’s criteria, including technical and security requirements.
The yearly re-prompt matters most for everyday users. Defaults tend to stick because most people never revisit them. A prompt every year gives people a regular moment to switch without digging through settings.
The AI assistant change is the new part. The CMA’s release names ChatGPT and Perplexity as examples of the new services reshaping how people search, but it doesn’t say either one would qualify for the choice screen. Any assistant would still need to clear the CMA’s technical and security criteria first.
The CMA’s chief executive explained the thinking in the release:
“The way people search for information online is changing, with new services creating fresh opportunities for innovation and competition. We’ve listened carefully to feedback and are responding quickly to the rise of AI assistants, which people are increasingly using as their search service, but aren’t included on Google’s choice screens. This is about future-proofing the options available to people in the UK so they can choose the search service they want as these come to market.”
— Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive, Competition and Markets Authority
A rule for publishers too
Any search provider shown on a choice screen would also have to fairly attribute publisher content in its results. In practice, that means a search engine or AI assistant can’t win a spot on the screen while presenting publishers’ work without credit.
How we got here
The CMA designated Google with strategic market status in general search and search advertising in October 2025. That status is the legal basis for all of these requirements. Earlier in 2026, the regulator consulted on a wider package of conduct rules. It covered user choice, data portability, fair ranking and a publisher opt-out from AI features in search. The CMA then imposed publisher controls on June 3 and fair-ranking and data-portability rules on June 17. This latest proposal builds on those and widens the choice screen to include AI assistants.
What happens next
The consultation is open until October 9, 2026. The CMA expects to make a final decision by the end of the year. Nothing changes on UK phones yet. If the rules go ahead, expect the choice screen the first time you use Android or Chrome, then once a year after that.
