What you need to know
- A new default search engine in iOS 14.3 called Ecosia will plant trees when you search!
A new default search engine option in iOS 14.3 plants trees with its profits, so you can help save the planet whilst you use your iPhone.
Noted in the iOS 14.3 release notes, the new option of Ecosia has been added to iPhone. The German company, founded back in 2009, was created to help combat the problem of deforestation on the planet.
First added to the beta back in October, you can now add Ecosia as your default search engine in the Settings App on your iPhone. You can also download and install Ecosia to use as a browser. From Ecosia:
This update makes planting trees more accessible, which is good news for our planet. Because trees don't just fight climate change by removing CO2 from the air. Trees also restart water cycles, fight desertification, protect and create wildlife habitats, and improve soil fertility. They help communities take charge of their future, since planting trees in and around farms revitalizes the soil, creates microclimates, provides fruits and nuts, and ultimately improves crop productivity.Trees, in short, are our planet's superheroes. Plant one today by getting the Ecosia app and making Ecosia your default browser!
According to Ecosia's website, more than 115 million trees have been planted through the use of its profits, a number that is growing every single day. It also runs its servers on 100% renewable energy. And because it spends its profits on planting trees, your searches actively contribute to the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, at the rate of around 1k per search request, apparently.
Not just great for the planet, Ecosia has excellent privacy credentials, boasting that it doesn't store search permanently or sell your information to advertisers. It encrypts searches, doesn't use any external tracking tools, and even lets you turn off the small amount of tracking it does use.
Ecosia is available in iOS 14.3 now.
