New deals, Galaxy S25 edge, S25 Ultra, Watch Ultra, and Bespoke AI Jet Ultra!
Reading time: 3 minutes
And it turns out that nobody truly knows with absolute certainty if and where Samsung might be able to pull this off. There is (or at the very least “was”) this thing called Google MADA (Mobile Application Distribution Agreement), which one Twitter user cited against the rumor that Samsung might switch its search engine.
However, Google's MADA is not that well documented. It is (or was) an agreement with OEMs, and it seems to vary depending on which OEM Google is (or was) dealing with. Some MADA documents signed more than a decade ago in 2011 leaked all the way back in 2014, revealing some strict rules that forced OEMs to always use Google services, like search, as the default ones. These old documents are now used by some to support the idea that it would be impossible for Samsung to switch to a different search provider other than Google. However, the truth in 2023 may not be as straightforward.
Although GMS (Google Mobile Services) agreements with OEMs are likely designed to keep Google services at the forefront of the Android mobile experience, there's not a lot of actual publicly-available documentation on MADA. Some use GMS and MADA interchangeably, but as far as we can tell, even “MADA” may be an outdated term replaced in time by GMS agreements.
There's a document from 2009 on a MADA agreement between Google and Motorola archived on a governmental website, and there's also a leaked, confidential PDF titled “Samsung MADA” (direct download via Ben Edelman) signed in 2011, which leaked as it was used in a legal dispute years ago. It reads the following:
In reality, it's been so long since these MADA documents leaked that many things could've changed by now. The relationship between Samsung and Google certainly has. And Android is no longer what it was in 2011. Samsung surely has a bigger influence on Google than it did in 2011, and, come to think of it, the Android landscape would be nearly barren if not for Samsung Galaxy phones.
All that being said, it's not outlandish to argue that those old leaked MADA documents are not a strong foundation to stand on for discrediting the recent rumors that Samsung may be looking for a way out of Google's grasp and may want to use Microsoft Bing as the default search engine on Galaxy devices.
It could be argued that Samsung may have the possibility to use a different search engine as the default one for services such as Samsung Internet and Bixby, but obviously not for the Google Search home screen widget. Furthermore, perhaps Samsung might not have the option to do this in some countries, like the USA, but may be able to switch search engines, as MADA agreements seem to also vary by market (via @MishaalRahman). All in all, the situation in 2023 may not be as black and white as some of those ancient might suggest.
Mihai is a blogger and column writer at SamMobile. His first Samsung phone was an A800 which took a lot of beating, and a part of him still misses the novelty of the clamshell design. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows, documentaries, and stand-up comedy; listening to music, taking walks, and occasionally playing old(er) video games.
Trending
We'd like to show you notifications for the latest important news and updates