Microsoft is as soon as once more injecting pop-ups into Google’s Chrome browser in a bid to get individuals to modify to Bing. The software program large first launched malware-like pop-up advertisements final 12 months with a immediate that appeared excessive of different apps and home windows. After pausing that notification to handle “unintended conduct,” the pop-ups have returned once more on Home windows 10 and 11.
Home windows customers have reported seeing the brand new pop-up in current days, promoting Bing AI and Microsoft’s Bing search engine inside Google Chrome. For those who click on sure to this immediate, then Microsoft will set Bing because the default search engine for Chrome. These newest prompts seem like malware, and as soon as once more have Home windows customers asking if they’re legit or nefarious. Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that the pop-ups are real and will solely seem as soon as.
“This can be a one-time notification giving individuals the selection to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome,” says Caitlin Roulston, director of communications, in a press release to The Verge. Roulston framed the pop-up as providing perks to Home windows customers, since they’ll get extra chat turns in Copilot in the event that they settle for the notification. “We worth offering our prospects with alternative, so there may be an choice to dismiss the notification.”
If Microsoft actually valued offering Home windows customers with alternative, then it might provide up a simple method to disable these pop-ups for good. There are a number of ways in which Microsoft makes an attempt to immediate Home windows customers into switching to Bing and Edge, making it troublesome to keep away from them by tweaking settings.
I’ve been rising more and more annoyed with Microsoft’s makes an attempt to aggressively push pop-up advertisements on Chrome customers in recent times. Microsoft has been utilizing pop-ups inside Chrome, on the Home windows taskbar, and elsewhere to advertise its personal companies. Microsoft even as soon as compelled individuals into Edge after a Home windows Replace, and it frequently presents a full-screen message to attempt to get Home windows customers to modify to Bing and Edge after updates are utilized.
Earlier this 12 months, Microsoft even needed to repair a problem the place its Edge browser was routinely importing shopping information and tabs from Chrome with out consent. I personally skilled the bug; after I rebooted my PC for a Home windows replace, Microsoft Edge routinely opened with the Chrome tabs I used to be engaged on earlier than the replace.
I wrote in August that I used to be “counting the times till the subsequent annoying pop-up seems,” and right here it’s a little over six months later. I’m nonetheless hoping Microsoft will ultimately hand over with these annoying pop-ups and respect Home windows customers’ alternative to choose whichever search engine and browser they want to use.