Microsoft’s Bing will have key slot on some new Android phones

Google decided to auction off three slots to rivals to appear on a screen asking users to pick them as a default.

Bing won slots in 13 countries in the October-December auction for slots on choice-screens for Android phones.  (Bing)

Microsoft's Bing search app will appear as a download prompt on new Android phones in Germany, the UK and France after it won slots in a Google auction for rivals.

Google announced the results of its October-December auction on Tuesday, showing info.com won slots on a choice screen for new Android phones in all 31 countries, PrivacyWall won slots in 22 countries, GMX in 16 countries and Bing in 13 countries. DuckDuckGo won just eight slots in smaller markets, down from a slot in each country in the last period.

Alphabet's search unit was ordered by the European Union in 2018 to find ways to remedy its power over search on mobile phones. Google has a stable 97% market share for search in Europe, according to Statcounter figures for August. 

Google decided to auction off three slots to rivals to appear on a screen asking users to pick them as a default. The auction process hasn't yet generated many downloads for rivals.