Apple is working on a new measurement mechanism that can detect Chrome and Google app promotions shown to users searching Google via Safari. The system, seen in the Safari code as of iOS 27.2 beta 2, can detect banners and similar elements that highlight its own applications on Google’s search pages. However, Safari can also determine whether the user interacts with the promotions in question. It is currently unknown whether Apple will enable this feature in the stable version of iOS 27.2. The existing code reveals that the company is at least testing measuring how frequently Google’s app promotions are shown in Safari and how users react to them.
There is no official statement made by Apple about the purpose for which the new mechanism was developed. Despite this, it is noteworthy that the tests coincided with a period when the competition between alternative internet browsers, especially Safari and Chrome, was examined more closely by regulatory authorities. In particular, it has been among the topics that have been discussed for a long time whether the default search engine agreement between Apple and Google reduces the motivation of the two companies to compete in the browser market. Google, on the other hand, argues that it actively promotes Chrome to iPhone users in some regulatory processes, which is one of the indicators that it continues to compete with Safari. Thanks to this code added to Safari, it may be possible for Apple to produce its own data on the frequency of similar promotions and user behavior.
How Safari detects Google’s Chrome banners
The technical operation of the system tested in Safari is based on adding JavaScript code to certain Google homepages and search result screens. This script, placed on the page by Safari, looks for visible banners and other page elements that direct the user to open or load the Chrome or Google app. The system can also check the links, custom URL schemes and App Store IDs associated with the two applications. Thus, it is possible to detect various elements that lead to Google’s own applications, without relying solely on banners with a specific design. This method allows Safari to detect the promotional element on the Google page and then classify user behavior.
Safari can record different events when a promotional item is detected. These include whether the banner is displayed to the user, whether the user appears to be signed in to a Google account, and whether there is any interaction with the promotion. The user’s behavior can then be classified as accepting or rejecting the promotion. Such a metric could give Apple a more detailed picture of the impact of Google’s cross-app promotions within Safari. However, it is not clear in the source which data the code sends to Apple servers, how long they are kept or whether they are processed only on the device.
The regulatory dimension of these tests also attracts attention. In competition reviews in the UK, Google cited its introduction of Chrome to iPhone users as one example of continued competition against Safari. In turn, regulators are also evaluating the extent to which the search engine agreement between Apple and Google affects competition between browsers. In the European Union, Apple faces additional obligations regarding browser selection and default applications under the Digital Markets Act. The European Commission had previously examined the compliance of Apple’s browser selection screen for Safari with these rules.
It’s not yet clear whether Apple is testing the telemetry system for its own product development efforts, to obtain measurements that can be submitted to regulators, or for both reasons. In addition, the existence of the test code clearly shows that Apple has prepared an infrastructure that can technically detect Google’s Chrome and Google application promotions in Safari. The lack of any explanation about this feature in the iOS 27.2 beta 3 and Safari 27.2 beta release notes indicates that the system is still in the experimental stage. For this reason, it cannot be said for now that the feature will be openly available to the end user or will be active in the stable version of iOS 27.2. The current chart shows that Apple is preparing to further measure Google promotions within Safari in an environment where browser competition is increasingly scrutinized.