Getting rid of Google search paid off in the most unexpected way

When I first thought about removing Google Search from my computing experience years ago, it seemed like a nightmare scenario. How would I be sure that the alternatives I chose would return the same results as Google Search? That they would be as reliable?

It took me a while to get used to the Google Search alternatives. I did not tear off the bandage in one smooth motion. I first replaced Google Search with DuckDuckGo on the iPhone. A little later, I did the same thing on the Mac. At first, I would use Google Search and DuckDuckGo in parallel.

Then came AI products like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and they made it even easier to get away from Google Search.

Little did I know that my Google Search independence would pay off so quickly. Google introduced an improvement to Google Search after I/O 2024 that not many people are excited about. AI summaries are now part of the default Google Search experience. There are ways to go back to a traditional Search experience. And then there’s the “core” solution: Eliminating Google Search from your browsing habits.

I’m here to tell you that whichever path you choose will work just fine for you, even if removing Google Search from your usual web browsing behavior sounds scary.

How to fix Google search

There is no real problem with providing AI results in Google Search. But it has to be our choice. Google made it mandatory after I/O, and it pissed off a lot of people.

Instead of giving up on Google Search, there are ways to fix the AI ​​Summary problem that Google created. First, you can use Google’s own fix. We’ve shown you how to use Google Search with the new Web filter that only shows text-based links in search results.

The other solution is to use a Chrome extension to block Google AI Summary in Search. The irony is strong with this, since Chrome is a Google product whose main job is to ensure that Google Search has a prominent placement on your computers.

If Google Search is one of the apps you rely on to get things done but hate the AI ​​results, these are the fixes you can apply right now. There is no guarantee that they will work forever, but they will fix your problems for now. We hope Google listens to all the negative feedback and fixes the problem they created.

Google Search Alternatives

But I will tell you that the Internet is still usable if you decide to give up Google Search. You’ll still find the things you’re looking for whether you use AI products or not. My search engine is DuckDuckGo, but you can use Bing and other alternatives. DuckDuckGo also works with Bing, and my searches on ChatGPT also run through Bing.

In addition to ChatGPT, I use Perplexity to search the web when conducting AI conversations about topics that require that particular experience.

Therefore, my googling consists of a combination of AI and traditional search, depending on what I need. The key detail here is that I am responsible for using AI.

I will also say that I use a lot of other Google products. I feel like I’m stealing them. Google apps are technically free, but because I don’t use Google Search that much, I’m not fully “paying” for them, since I’m not as exposed to Google’s huge ad-based monetization system. .

Finally, I’ll note that I’m not completely out of Google Search. For example, I use Google Maps to search for places and businesses, and it’s a Google Search experience.

Also, I can use Google Search in “incognito” mode if I feel like I’m not finding something I would normally find. Another alternative would be to crash the Microsoft server and remove Bing, DuckDuckGo, ChatGPT search and anything else that might be running there.

That said, I’m not completely out of Google Search. But his presence has been reduced to such a degree that AI Summaries aren’t a problem. On that note, I will also say that I haven’t seen the AI ​​Roundup in Europe yet. Therefore, I am already somewhat protected from them. But they will be out everywhere before the end of the year.

Also, AI Summaries will receive ads, which can further complicate one’s relationship with Google Search.

What I’m getting at is that whatever happens with Google’s AI in Search will have minimal impact on my web search experience now that I’ve removed Google Search. And I don’t miss it at all.