EU Orders Google to Open Up Android to Rival AI

In a series of preliminary findings, the European Commission has ordered Google to allow rival AI services like ChatGPT and Claude deep interoperability with Android, Bloomberg is reporting.

Citing its Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules, the EU has officially signaled that it will not allow Google to turn the Android operating system into a walled garden for its Gemini AI. Brussels argues that Google currently reserves the best parts of Android for Gemini, while leaving rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude out in the cold.

Currently, if you own an Android device, Gemini is woven into the fabric of the software. It can send emails, check your calendar, and interact with your apps with a simple voice command. The EU wants to ensure that a user can choose a different “brain” for their phone without losing that seamless experience.

According to the Commission’s findings, Google should implement measures that allow third-party AI services to:

• Use Custom Wake Words: Users should be able to activate a rival AI using a specific phrase, just like they do with “Hey Google.”
• Cross-App Functionality: Competing AI agents must be able to “talk” to other apps on the device, for example, asking ChatGPT to order a pizza through a delivery app or share a photo with a specific contact.
• Hardware Access: Competitors need free and effective access to the same hardware and software features that Gemini enjoys to ensure they perform just as quickly and reliably.

Google has not taken these proposals lightly. The tech giant argues that forcing this level of deep integration with third-party software could create massive security and privacy holes. The company maintains that Android is already an open by design ecosystem and that device manufacturers already have the autonomy to choose which AI services they want to feature.

The Commission has invited interested parties to provide feedback on these draft measures by May 13, 2026. A final decision on whether Google is in compliance with the DMA is expected by late July.