How many people use Google in the UK? How is AI changing search, and what alternatives are growing? We analyzed the latest Ofcom data to answer the questions about search engine usage in Britain.
Google Search
How Many People Use Google Search in the UK? (2025)
Google Search is used by 82% of UK online adults. Google processes 3 billion UK monthly web searches.
Google Search reach is slightly down from 83% in 2024 and 86% in 2023. Despite this small decline, Google remains the most-used search service by a large margin.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ipsos iris
How Much Time Do People Spend on Google Search? (2025)
Google Search average time spent per person is 1 hour 27 minutes per month in May 2025.
This was 1 hour 29 minutes in 2024 and 1 hour 15 minutes in 2023. Time spent increased in 2024 then dipped slightly in 2025.
In 2024, 49% of UK online adults visited Google Search daily.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
AI in Search
How Is AI Changing Google Search? (2025)
30% of Google keyword search queries deliver AI-supported overviews. Up to 34% of non-branded searches include AI overviews.
53% of UK people say they often see AI summaries in search. Google is rolling out AI overviews and Gemini in Chrome.
I see this as a fundamental shift in how search works. The traditional model of clicking through to websites is being disrupted by inline AI answers.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, YouGov/Ofcom
Do AI Overviews Reduce Website Clicks? (2025)
Users who encounter a Google AI overview are almost half as likely to click on links to websites compared to searches without AI overviews.
26% end their browsing session entirely after seeing an AI overview, compared to 16% without one.
Six months after visiting ChatGPT for the first time, users reduce their search clicks by 26%. AI is changing not just search behaviour but overall web browsing patterns.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Bing & Alternatives
How Many People Use Bing in the UK? (2024)
Bing is the second-highest-reaching search engine with 39% reach, representing 18.5 million UK adults in May 2024.
Bing reach is down from 46% in May 2023. Bing average time spent is 38 minutes per visitor per month, compared to 1 hour 29 minutes for Google.
Bing reach peaked at 46% (22.2 million) in April 2023 after AI integration, representing a 60% increase from October 2022. Interest has since subsided.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024, Ipsos iris
Who Uses Bing in the UK? (2024)
Bing reach is higher among older adults, with 43% of those aged 65 and over using it, compared to 36% of 25-34 year olds.
This age skew likely reflects default browser settings on Windows devices, which are more commonly used by older demographics.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
What Are the Other Search Engines in the UK? (2024)
90% of UK online adults visited at least one of the top ten search engines in May 2024.
Yahoo Search reach is 3% (1.6 million adults). DuckDuckGo reach is 3% (1.5 million adults). Only four search engines had over 1 million UK adult visitors.
Brave search is growing at 37% year-on-year, building its own index rather than using other search companies' data.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024, Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Google Maps
How Many People Use Google Maps in the UK? (2025)
Google Maps reach is 78% of UK online adults in May 2025. That is up from 73% in 2024 and 69% in 2023.
Google Maps average time spent rose to 153 minutes per month, up from 139 minutes in 2024.
Google Maps is the third most-used smartphone app with 77% reach.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
How Does Google Maps Compare to Apple Maps? (2025)
Google Maps is used by 72% of iPhone users and 83% of Android users.
Apple Maps is used by only 28% of iPhone users, down from 33% in 2024. Even on Apple devices, Google Maps dominates.
Waze is the 83rd most-used smartphone app with 11% reach.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Email Services
What Are the Top Email Services in the UK? (2024)
Gmail is the highest-reaching online email service at 55% reach.
Microsoft Outlook reach is 50%.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2025/online-nations-report-2025.pdf)
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2024/online-nation-2024-report.pdf)
- Ipsos iris
- YouGov/Ofcom