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Comment by MBCook | Hacker News Reader

You don’t think Google will push Chrome to iOS users with banners when they search, use YouTube, Gmail, etc?

That’s what they did on desktop.

GMail on iOS already asks you to install Chrome on every link you click. It’s not even a hypothetical lol

They already do this in their Apps, e.g. gmail at least at one piont prompted you to install chrome whenever you tried to open a link in a browser.

YouTube also. Clicking links in the comments and descriptions prompts me to choose between "default browser" and installing Chrome. Every time.

Especially since Google is forcing some users on iOS to install the Youtube app as the default 2FA method instead of offering SMS.

SMS 2FA is broken.

You have a bunch of other options including security keys, TOTP, and existing device verification flow.

I completely agree, I'm just saying that using the Youtube app makes it convenient for Google were they to try and push iOS users towards Chrome (e.g. by showing a banner every time you open the app).

I doubt most users are using a dedicated third-party authenticator.

The issue is that even for users with third party Authenticator, they force you many extra clicks to use your own. You can’t set your own 2FA as default even after using it a 100 times. They make you jump through hoops to avoid YouTube or gmail for 2FA. Clearly it’s on purpose.

I don’t have sms. I have proper TOTP 2FA. And still, google keeps asking me to get my 2fa code in gmail or YouTube on iOS. It’s 3 extra annoying clicks to get it to accept my own 2FA.

It’s clearly on purpose to force me on their apps.

Yes, but again why would that suddenly mean 90% of people use it vs the reality of desktop today where they don't own 90% of the market? Why are 9 out of 10 people suddenly jumping ship because Google pushed chrome on their phone vs on their desktop PC?

You are ignoring that Chrome (+ Edge) already effectively controls > 85% of the the browser market, ignoring iOS. They only need a 25% uptake on iOS to push them over 90% globally

In terms of web traffic iOS is a large enough percentage that sites have to cater to iOS/Safari. Since Safari doesn't support all of Google's latest fingerprint/tracking friendly web APIs most sites won't hate their content behind them. As soon as a "just install Chrome" banner is viable on mobile there's no reason websites won't be flooded with Chrome-only features.

A Chrome-only web will edge out not just up to date competing browsers but any older iOS and Android devices that can't run top of tree Chrome.

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