Switzerland opens preliminary probe into Google’s removal of Android “choice screen”

Switzerland’s competition authority has opened a preliminary investigation into Google’s removal of a “choice screen” on Android phones in Switzerland, according to a report published Tuesday.

The feature in question, commonly referred to as a choice screen, is designed to present users with options for default search and related services when they first set up or activate a device. The investigation centers on what regulators view as a change in how those defaults are presented to users.

Regulators typically focus on how companies use default settings, pre-installation, and setup flows to steer consumer choice, especially in markets where search and web browsing are closely tied to advertising revenue. In that sense, default-selection mechanisms can function as a gatekeeper for competitors that want users to try their services.

Google’s reported change involves removing that choice-screen option for Android devices in Switzerland. The matter is now in the early stages, meaning the authority is assessing whether there are sufficient grounds to move from preliminary review to a formal enforcement process.

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has faced similar competition scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions over the years, particularly around the relationship between distribution channels (like app ecosystems and device setup) and the commercial outcomes that follow. This Swiss step adds another regulatory front focused on platform power at the point where users are first introduced to default services.

A key detail in the current announcement is what the Swiss authority did not disclose at this stage. The company’s specific technical or contractual rationale for the removal, the scope of affected devices and time period, and whether consumers have been offered alternative ways to select defaults are not spelled out in the available reporting.

What happens next will likely depend on the regulator’s preliminary findings. If the authority concludes there is a plausible competition issue, it could move toward a more formal investigation and request further information from Google and other affected parties, including data on how the change has affected search distribution and user behavior.