Microsoft confirms Bing pop-up ads in Chrome on Microsoft Windows 11 & Microsoft Windows 10

Microsoft is rolling out a latest server-side updates that might trick some folks into using Bing as a default search engine in Google Chrome.

While using Google Chrome, I encountered a Bing pop-up on the proper facet of the browser. For a second, I believed Chrome was contaminated with malware, nevertheless it turned out to be a latest Microsoft marketing campaign.

In a press release to Microsoft Windows Latest, Microsoft confirmed the corporate is testing a “one-time” notification that encourages folks to make use of Bing as a default search in Google Chrome. The pop-up additionally advertises Bing’s free entry to ChatGPT-4, the place customers can get “hundreds of daily chat turns with Bing AI”.

“This is a one-time notification giving people the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome. For those who choose to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome, when signed in with their MSA they also get more chat turns in Copilot and chat history,” Microsoft informed Microsoft Windows Latest over electronic mail.

“We value providing our customers with choice, so there is an option to dismiss the notification,” the corporate added.

Microsoft Windows pop-up advert modifications Chrome’s search settings, and switches to Bing from Google in the event you click on “Yes”

In our checks, we seen that this Bing pop-up isn’t a part of a Microsoft Windows updates, and it’s presumably linked to both BCILauncher.EXE or BingChatInstaller.EXE, which had been added to some methods on March 13.

Microsoft indicators the 2 information, and also you’ll discover them contained in the c:windowstempmubstemp folder.

The pop-up, which is linked to the above information, might present up whereas shopping with Chrome and counsel switching your search engine to Bing.

As you may see within the above screenshot, Microsoft’s malware-like pop-up suggests Bing because the default search as a result of it provides “GPT-4” at no cost on Chrome. Microsoft additionally claims putting in “Bing Search”, a Chrome extension, will enhance the chat expertise on Copilot as a result of it activates options like chat historical past, pocket book, and personalization.

In a press release, Microsoft informed me it’s a one-time notification that won’t seem once more after you choose “No” or “Yes”. It doesn’t have an “X” shut button, however you may choose “No, thanks” to dismiss the alert.

If you click on “Yes” on the pop-up, Microsoft will add the Bing extension to Chrome and alter your search settings to Bing.

After including Bing, Chrome checks with you to be sure to wish to make this alteration as a result of Microsoft tricked you into including the extension via a pop-up.

Microsoft is aware of Chrome will double-check this alteration with you, and it has added one other message encouraging you to stay with Bing so you should utilize the Bing AI and different options.

The second alert says, “If you do, you’ll turn off Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome and lose access to Bing AI with GPT-4 and DALL-E 3.”. You can once more have the selection to “change it back” (change back to Google) or keep it (keep using Bing).

Here’s the total pop-up advert expertise in motion:

Quite humorous, proper? But that’s not the primary time Microsoft has added pop-ups to Microsoft Windows.

Google has additionally tried to sabotage the Microsoft Edge expertise. Last 12 months, the corporate began blocking YouTube on Edge when customers turned on the browser’s strict monitoring safety.