Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has been working on a way to approach Apple to ask if Yahoo can take over as the default search engine on the Safari browser for the Apple iPhone and Apple iPad.Mayer has already approached several Apple executives about her plan, and has already spoken to Apple’s SVP of design, Jony Ive, about it. As it turns out, Yahoo’s CEO already knows Ive from her days at Google, which gives her a very big ally in Cupertino. Still, getting Apple to replace Google will not be easy. Part of the problem facing Mayer is that Google pays Apple $1 billion a year to drive traffic to its ad networks. But Yahoo will soon be loaded with cash once Alibaba has its IPO later this year, allowing Yahoo to cash in on its 24% ownership of the company.

Apple has long had a good relationship with Yahoo, which Mayer hopes to further improve. Yahoo already is the default data source on the iPhone for the device’s stocks and weather apps, the latter of which is a very slick and attractive piece of technology.Talk about Yahoo taking over for Google on iOS isn’t new. Last year, there was even a report that CEO Mayer had met with Cue to discuss ways that Yahoo could work more with Apple. Still, the whole thing seems to come back to search. Apple and Google’s contract covering search supposedly expires next year, and we would imagine that Apple has an option to renew the deal with terms beneficial to both sides.