Oli Yeates · 31 October 2026

ChatGPT could become your default search engine: what the CMA's choice screen means for UK businesses

The CMA wants UK Android and Chrome users to choose their default search service every year, with ChatGPT and Perplexity on the list. What is proposed, when it could happen, and what to do now.

ChatGPT could become your default search engine: what the CMA's choice screen means for UK businesses

For the first time, UK Android and Chrome users could be asked to pick ChatGPT or Perplexity as their default search service instead of Google. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published the proposal on 23 September 2026, and expects to make a final decision by the end of the year.

If it goes ahead, millions of people will be prompted to rethink how they search, not once, but every year. For UK businesses that rely on Google for traffic and leads, that is a significant change. Here is what the CMA has actually proposed, when it could happen, and what it means for your marketing.

What the CMA has proposed

In its official press release, the CMA set out 3 requirements Google would have to meet:

  • A choice screen at first use, then every year. Android and Chrome users would be offered a choice of search services when they first use an Android phone or open Chrome, "followed by a prompt every year to choose the default provider they want to use".
  • AI assistants can qualify. AI assistants could appear on the screen where they meet the relevant criteria, including technical and security requirements.
  • Fair attribution. Any provider on the choice screen must fairly attribute publisher content, so people can see where their answers came from.

The CMA names ChatGPT and Perplexity as examples of the new services changing how people search, although it has not said which assistants would qualify.

Explaining the change, CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said:

"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 the latest step in a wider package. The CMA designated Google with strategic market status in general search and search advertising in October 2025, and has already imposed publisher controls over AI features (3 June 2026) and fair ranking and data portability requirements (17 June 2026).

Where things stand

The consultation closed on 9 October 2026 and the CMA expects to decide by the end of the year. Nothing has changed on UK phones or browsers yet.

DateWhat happened
October 2025CMA designates Google with strategic market status in general search and search advertising
28 January 2026CMA consults on a first package of measures, including choice screens
3 June 2026Publisher controls over Google's AI features imposed
17 June 2026Fair ranking and data portability requirements imposed
23 September 2026Revised choice screen proposal published, opening it to AI assistants
9 October 2026Consultation closes
13 October 2026Google publishes its formal response
By end of 2026CMA final decision expected

Google is pushing back hard

In its formal response to the CMA, Google argues the revised rules would be unlawful and would turn the search choice screen into "a free promotion platform for AI assistants".

Google's response also gives a useful glimpse of what a 12-slot UK choice screen might look like. By Google's own estimate, the top 5 slots could go to Google Search, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude, with the remaining 7 filled at random. Google calculates that around 1 in 5 screens would then show only 1 traditional search engine: its own. These are Google's projections, made while arguing against the proposal, so treat them with care, but they show how differently the screen could look.

What it means for UK businesses

Even if only a small share of people switch, the choice screen would make AI assistants a front-door option on millions of UK devices, and ask people to reconsider every year. That changes how marketers should think about search.

  • "Search" no longer means just Google. If ChatGPT or Perplexity becomes someone's default, their questions go straight to an AI assistant from the Chrome address bar or Android search widget. Your brand needs to be visible in those answers, not only in Google's results.
  • Attribution could help publishers and brands. The CMA wants any provider on the screen to fairly attribute the content it uses. If that sticks, well-structured, authoritative content has a better chance of earning a credited link back.
  • Paid search budgets may need to spread. Google remains dominant, but AI assistants are building their own ad platforms. Advertisers who test early will have benchmarks if traffic starts to shift.
  • Measurement will get harder. Traffic from AI assistants is often under-reported or lumped into direct. If your analytics cannot separate it out, you will not see the change happening.
  • Annual prompts mean annual churn. A yearly choice screen keeps the decision open. Brands cannot assume today's search habits are permanent.

What to do now

  1. Check how AI assistants describe your brand. Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot the questions your customers ask. Note whether you appear, what they say, and which sources they cite.
  2. Track AI referral traffic separately. Set up channel groupings in GA4 so visits from AI assistants are not hidden in direct or referral traffic.
  3. Strengthen your source content. Clear service pages, FAQs, up-to-date pricing information and genuine expertise give AI assistants something accurate to cite and link to.
  4. Keep your Google foundations strong. Google will still be the default for most people. Do not move budget away from what works; add to it.
  5. Plan a small AI ads test for 2027. Set aside a test budget so you can learn how AI assistant advertising performs before competitors do.
  6. Watch for the CMA decision. We expect a ruling before the end of the year, followed by details on when the screens would appear.

Our view

The CMA's proposal does not mean people will abandon Google overnight. But it does mean the UK is about to formally recognise AI assistants as search services, and that matters. It confirms what we are already seeing in client data: discovery is spreading across more platforms, and brands that only optimise for one will gradually lose ground.

At Clicky, we help UK businesses stay visible wherever their customers search, from Google to AI assistants. If you would like to know how your brand currently shows up in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini, get in touch with our team for an AI visibility check.

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