Microsoft Pushes 22.2MB Bing App to Chrome, Firefox and Brave on Windows 11
Updated
Updated · WindowsLatest · Aug 22
Microsoft Pushes 22.2MB Bing App to Chrome, Firefox and Brave on Windows 11
3 articles · Updated · WindowsLatest · Aug 22
Summary
A 22.2MB executable called Microsoft Recommended Search Settings installs browser extensions that switch default search to Bing across Chrome, Firefox and Brave, then opens a Microsoft Rewards offer after setup.
The app is hosted on Microsoft’s download servers rather than Windows Update or the Microsoft Store, and its setup defaults the Bing switch to “Yes” before asking users to accept and continue.
Chrome and Brave immediately flag the added Microsoft Bing Homepage & Search extension, which can change search, homepage and start page; Chrome also prompts users to revert to Google after the switch.
Microsoft counters that rollback prompt with its own “Wait, don’t change it back!” message, reviving a tactic reported in a similar Chrome-Bing prompt battle in March 2024.
The push comes even as Microsoft has been trimming MSN clutter elsewhere; Bing has topped 1 billion users, yet the company is still using rewards, account-sign-in shortcuts and browser prompts to expand reach.