Microsoft confirmed the pop-up is a one-time notification giving users the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome. The company has faced criticism for this tactic, with some users comparing the pop-up to low-rent malware. This is not the first time Microsoft has used such tactics; last year, it urged users not to ditch its Edge browser on Google's Chrome download page and pushed Bing in Windows 11 via pop-ups.
Key takeaways:
- Microsoft is using pop-up adverts on Chrome on Windows PCs to promote its search engine, Bing, and its AI assistant, urging users to make Bing the default search engine in Chrome.
- Clicking 'Yes' on the pop-up installs the Bing Chrome extension and changes the default search provider, which Chrome alerts the user to as potentially malicious.
- Microsoft confirmed the pop-up is a one-time notification giving people the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome, and users who do so get more chat turns in Copilot and chat history when signed in with their Microsoft account.
- This is not the first time Microsoft has used such tactics, having previously tried to discourage users from ditching its Edge browser on Google's Chrome download page and pushing Bing in Windows 11 via pop-ups.