Apple Tests Safari Tool to Detect Google’s Chrome Promotions

Apple is testing a new feature in Safari that can detect when Google promotes its Chrome browser or Google app to people using Apple’s browser to search the web.

The feature surfaced in beta versions of Apple’s operating systems. It is aimed at identifying promotions shown to Safari users while they browse Google’s search engine.

The distinction is between the service people are using and the app they use to access it: someone searching on Google through Safari may be encouraged to move to Chrome or the Google app.

The available details describe a detection capability, not a confirmed tool for blocking those promotions. They do not establish whether Safari would warn users or take any other action after identifying a prompt.

The test puts browser competition in focus, with Apple examining how Google promotes its own software within the Safari browsing experience. No public release date for the feature was provided.