As of 2026 Google has a 90% share across all devices is that true?
Executive summary
Google’s global share of the search-engine market in 2026 hovers at roughly 89–90%, meaning the common claim that it has “90% across all devices” is broadly accurate but requires nuance: datasets and segmentation (mobile vs desktop, country-level exceptions, and measurement firms) produce small but meaningful differences that can make the number read as just under or just over 90% depending on the source [1] [2] [3].
1. The headline number: mostly true, depending on the dataset
Multiple recent industry trackers and compilations put Google’s global share right around 89–90% in 2025–2026, with ResourceRA reporting 89.99% for 2026 and noting a figure sometimes rounded to 90.04% across all devices [1], Backlinko citing 89.94% from StatCounter [3], and AboutChromebooks summarizing the market as approximately 89–90% [2]; those results support the short-form claim that Google is roughly a 90% player worldwide.
2. Device splits undermine a single “across all devices” headline
Behind the global average are stark device-level differences: mobile search share for Google is typically much higher—various reports place mobile dominance between the low 90s and mid-90s—while desktop shares are materially lower, often in the low-to-mid 80s [4] [5] [6]. That means an “across all devices” average near 90% reflects heavy mobile usage and Google’s default position on Android, while desktop ecosystems (where Bing and others have traction) pull the average down [7] [4].
3. Regional exceptions make a universal 90% claim misleading
Global averages smooth over countries where Google is far weaker: China’s search landscape is dominated by local engines and Google’s share can be as low as about 5% there, and Russia features a strong local rival, Yandex, leaving Google with under 50% in some measures [8]. Therefore “90% everywhere” is false; the global figure is an aggregation that hides substantial national variation [8].
4. Measurement differences and rounding explain small discrepancies
Different analytics firms (StatCounter, Statista, specialized SEO shops and marketing agencies) use different traffic panels, sampling windows, and definitions (queries, sessions, browser-tracked searches), which yields slightly different percentages—some report 89.3–89.9%, others place Google just above 90% or slightly below it [4] [3] [5]. Market commentary also shows a small downward trend from earlier years, meaning year-to-year comparisons can change whether the headline reads “below 90%” or “about 90%” [5] [2].
5. Competitive dynamics matter: AI assistants and desktop growth are shifting shares
Reports highlight growth of competitors in certain niches—Microsoft’s Bing has gained desktop share in some markets thanks to product integrations and AI features, and new AI platforms take a slice of “digital query” volume—so even if Google sits near 90% overall, its dominance is not static and can decline in specific use cases such as desktop transactional searches or AI-driven overviews [9] [7] [5].
6. Ads and business impact: search advertising share diverges from query share
Query-market share and ad-market power are related but distinct: industry forecasts expect Google’s share of search advertising revenue to fall below 50% in 2026 according to eMarketer, showing that near-monopolic query share does not automatically translate into equivalent ad-market monopoly and reinforcing the need to separate types of “share” when assessing dominance [10].
Conclusion: a qualified yes — but context is essential
It is defensible to state that Google holds about 90% of global search queries across devices in 2026, but that headline simplifies device-level splits, regional exceptions, and the methodological differences between measurement providers; a careful reading of the data shows the figure is best presented as “roughly 89–90% globally, higher on mobile and lower on desktop, with important country-level exceptions” [1] [4] [8] [3].