Microsoft Is Back At Injecting Pop-Ups Into Chrome To Make Users Switch To Bing & Edge

Microsoft is once again injecting pop-ups into Google’s Chrome browser in a bid to get people to switch to Bing. The software giant first introduced malware-like pop-up ads last year with a prompt that appeared over the top of other apps and windows. After pausing that notification to address “unintended behaviour,” the pop-ups returned again on Windows 10 and 11.

Windows users have reported seeing the new pop-up in recent days, advertising Bing AI and Microsoft’s Bing search engine inside Google Chrome. If you click yes to this prompt, then Microsoft will set Bing as the default search engine for Chrome. These latest prompts look like malware, and once again have Windows users asking if they are legit or nefarious. Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that the pop-ups are genuine and should only appear once.

Caitlin Roulston, Director of Communications, in a statement to The Verge, said, “This is a one-time notification giving people the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome.” Roulston added by saying that the pop-up is like offering perks to Windows users as they can get more chat turns in Copilot if they accept the notification.  She said, “We value providing our customers with choice, so there is an option to dismiss the notification.”

Is Microsoft Really Providing Users A Choice?

If Microsoft truly prioritised offering Windows users choices, it would provide a straightforward method to permanently disable these pop-ups. The company employs various tactics to encourage Windows users to switch to Bing and Edge, making it challenging to avoid these prompts by adjusting settings.

Microsoft’s promotional efforts extend to pop-ups within Chrome, the Windows taskbar, and other areas to promote its own services. There have been instances where Microsoft compelled users to switch to Edge following a Windows Update, and it regularly displays full-screen messages encouraging Windows users to adopt Bing and Edge after system updates.

Earlier this year, Microsoft had to address an issue where its Edge browser automatically imported browsing data and tabs from Chrome without user consent.