Apple Looks at AI Search in Safari: What It Could Mean for Google Traffic

If most of your visitors use iPhones, this week’s news probably made you nervous. On 7 May 2025, Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue told a US court that Apple is actively looking at adding AI search providers to Safari. He also said Google searches in Safari fell in April for the first time ever.

So what does Apple AI search in Safari mean for your Google traffic? In the short term, very little changes. Google is still the default, and nothing has shipped. But the direction is clear, and I think it is a good moment to make sure your site can be found in more than one search engine.

What Apple Actually Said About AI Search in Safari

Cue was speaking as a witness in the remedies phase of the US Justice Department’s search case against Google. That is the stage where the judge decides what Google must change after being found to have an illegal monopoly in search.

Here are the main points from his testimony, as reported from the courtroom:

• Safari searches dropped: Cue said searches in Safari fell in April for the first time. He linked this to people using AI tools instead.
• AI providers are coming: He said Apple is looking at adding AI search options such as OpenAI, Perplexity and Anthropic to Safari.
• Not the default, yet: He said these would be added to the list of choices but probably would not be the default for now.
• Talks have started: Apple has already had discussions with Perplexity.
• The long view: Cue said he believes AI search will eventually replace traditional search engines like Google, once the AI companies improve their search indexes.

The market took this seriously. Alphabet shares closed down more than 7 percent that day.

Google’s Response

Google answered within hours with a short statement on its blog. It said it continues to see overall query growth in Search, including an increase in total queries from Apple’s devices and platforms.

Google also said people are reaching Search in new ways, through browsers, the Google app, voice and Google Lens. That is an important detail. Safari is only one entry point, and a drop in Safari searches does not have to mean a drop in Google searches overall.

Both statements can be true at once. Typed searches in Safari’s address bar can fall while people search more in the Google app or with Lens. Neither company shared the underlying numbers, so I’d treat both claims with some care.

Why the Safari Default Matters So Much

Google pays Apple to be the default search engine in Safari. The deal is reported to be worth around $20 billion a year. It sat at the centre of the case that ended with the court finding Google a monopolist in 2024. I covered that decision in my piece on what the Google antitrust ruling means for SEO.

Defaults matter because most people never change them. When you type into the Safari address bar on an iPhone, the query goes to Google unless you picked something else in Settings. Today the built-in choices are Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia.

Now the Justice Department wants the court to stop Google paying for default placement. A decision on remedies is expected later this year. If those payments end, or if Apple adds AI options next to Google, the way iPhone users reach websites could slowly shift.

Apple Already Uses AI Outside Google

This would not be Apple’s first step away from Google for answers. Since iOS 18.2, Siri can pass some questions to ChatGPT. Apple’s own crawler, Applebot, also feeds results for Siri, Spotlight and Safari suggestions. So Apple already sends some searches somewhere other than Google, and that share could grow.

Will This Hurt Your Google Traffic?

My honest answer: not this month, and probably not suddenly. Here is how I see the timeline.

1. Right now: Nothing has changed in Safari. Google is still the default for Safari users everywhere.
2. Next few months: Apple usually shows new software at its developer conference in June. If AI search options come, that is a likely place to announce them, but Apple has not confirmed anything.
3. Once options appear: Cue said AI providers would likely be choices, not the default. Most people stick with defaults, so the first impact would come from people who choose to switch.
4. Longer term: The court’s remedy decision and any change to the Google–Apple deal will matter more than one new menu option.

Even so, the April dip Cue described is a signal. People are already asking ChatGPT, Perplexity and others the questions they used to type into Google. That shift happens with or without Apple’s help.

Which Sites Are Most Exposed

In my experience, the sites most at risk from AI answers are the ones built on simple informational questions. Think definitions, quick facts, basic how-tos and short comparisons. An AI tool can answer those without sending a click.

Sites with something people need to visit for are safer. That includes local businesses, online stores, tools and calculators, and content based on real first-hand experience. People still click through to buy, book, compare prices or trust a specific expert.

Also check your audience mix. If a large share of your visitors come from iPhones and Safari, any change in Safari matters more to you than to a site whose readers mostly use Android or desktop Chrome.

A Simple Way to Size Your Risk

Here is the quick test I use. Take your top 20 organic landing pages and ask one question for each: could a good AI answer replace this page for most visitors?

A page that defines a term or lists basic facts usually gets a “yes”. A product page, a booking page, a pricing comparison with real data or a guide with original photos and steps usually gets a “no”. Then look at how much of your Safari traffic lands on the “yes” pages. That is the part of your traffic I’d watch most closely.

For the “yes” pages, the answer is not to delete them. It is to add what a summary cannot give: your own examples, clear opinions, tools, templates or local detail. That makes the page worth a click even when an AI answer sits above it.

How AI Search Engines Find and Show Websites

If Safari gets AI search options, the providers named would each use their own systems to find and cite pages. Here is what to know about each.

• ChatGPT search: OpenAI launched it in late 2024, and it shows answers with links to sources. OpenAI uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to find pages for search.
• Perplexity: Every answer lists numbered sources. It uses its own crawler, PerplexityBot.
• Anthropic’s Claude: Claude added web search earlier this year, with cited sources in its answers.

What they share is simple. They can only cite pages they can reach and understand. If your robots.txt blocks their crawlers, or your key content only loads with heavy JavaScript, you make it harder for them to use your pages.

Search Bots vs Training Bots

One thing I see site owners mix up is the difference between bots that train AI models and bots that power search. Blocking a training bot is a business choice. Blocking a search bot can remove you from AI answers completely.

Apple works the same way. Applebot crawls for Siri, Spotlight and Safari. A separate token, Applebot-Extended, lets you opt out of having your content used to train Apple’s AI models without leaving Apple’s search results. Apple explains both in its Applebot documentation. One detail I like: if your robots.txt has no rules for Applebot but has rules for Googlebot, Applebot follows the Googlebot rules.

What I Recommend You Do Now

You don’t need to rebuild your strategy because of one court testimony. But a few checks will prepare you for Apple AI search in Safari and for AI search in general. These are the steps I’m taking on the sites I manage.

1. Check your traffic by browser and device. In GA4, open Reports, then Tech, then Tech details, and look at Browser and Device category. Note how much of your organic traffic comes from Safari on mobile. That is your exposure.
2. Set a baseline for AI referrals. In GA4, look at Traffic acquisition and filter session source for chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and similar names. The numbers will be small for most sites. Record them now so you can see the trend later.
3. Review your robots.txt. Make sure you are not blocking OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot or Applebot by accident. Some security plugins and CDN settings block unknown bots by default, so check those too.
4. Verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools. Several AI tools draw on search indexes beyond Google’s, and Bing is one of the most used. It takes a few minutes if you already use Search Console, because you can import your sites from there.
5. Make your answers easy to quote. Put the direct answer near the top of the page, in plain words. Then add the detail, examples and experience that an AI summary cannot replace.
6. Strengthen your brand. AI tools tend to cite sources that are well known and mentioned across the web. Clear author pages, an About page and mentions on trusted sites all help.

A Note for Local Businesses

If you run a local business, Apple is already a search engine for your customers. Siri and Apple Maps answer “near me” questions on every iPhone, and they do not use your Google Business Profile.

If you have not claimed your listing yet, start with my guide to getting your business on Apple Maps with Apple Business Connect. I’d do this before worrying about AI chatbots, because it affects iPhone users today.

What This Means for Google, and for SEO

Google is not standing still. AI Overviews already appear on many results pages, and Google is testing a full AI search experience called AI Mode in Search Labs. I wrote about that in my post on Google’s AI Mode test. Google also said it will share more at its I/O conference later this month.

So the real picture is not “Google loses, AI wins.” It is that search is splitting across more places: Google’s classic results, Google’s own AI answers, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Siri and possibly new options in Safari.

For SEO, the basics still carry over. Helpful pages, clear structure, fast loading and a crawlable site work for Google and for AI tools. What changes is how you measure success. Clicks from Google may stay flat or dip, while mentions and citations in AI answers become part of your reach.

What I Would Not Do

• Don’t panic over a stock drop. Investor reactions are not traffic data. Watch your own analytics.
• Don’t chase “AI SEO” shortcuts. There is no special markup that gets you into ChatGPT or Perplexity answers. Be wary of anyone selling one.
• Don’t block every AI bot in a hurry. If you want to appear in AI answers, you need the search crawlers to reach you. Decide bot by bot.
• Don’t ignore Google. It still sends most of the search traffic for nearly every site I look at. Diversify, but keep the main channel healthy.

Questions Still Unanswered

A lot is still unknown, and I’d be careful with anyone who claims certainty. Here is what I’m watching:

• Whether Apple announces AI search options in Safari, and in which countries.
• Whether they appear in the same Settings list as Google and Bing, or as a separate AI option.
• How the court rules on default payments, and whether Apple’s deal with Google changes as a result.
• Whether AI providers send meaningful referral traffic, or mostly answer without a click.
• How Google responds with AI Mode and AI Overviews on iPhone.

Conclusion

Apple AI search in Safari is not live, and Google is still the default on every iPhone. But Apple’s own services chief has said out loud that AI search is the future and that Safari will offer it. That is worth taking seriously.

My advice is to prepare without panicking. Check how much of your traffic comes from Safari, make sure AI search crawlers can reach your site, and start tracking AI referrals now. As a next step, read my guide to how ChatGPT search finds websites and compare it with your robots.txt today.