Microsoft is at it again with another ploy to stop Bing users from switching over to Google Chrome, this time with a full banner right on the search page.
As Microsoft Edge is Windows' default browser, many users often use it to download Chrome through the Bing search engine. Many will know that the browser often delivers a message stating why it's worth using Bing instead, but Windows Report has noticed a new comparison banner pops up.
When typing in "Chrome" using Bing on Edge, there's now a banner that takes up a big part of the page before web search results are shown. The report found a comparison between the two browsers, stating " Microsoft Edge offers the speed of Chrome with the security of Microsoft."
Notably, it also details what Edge offers and what Chrome doesn't, including Microsoft Rewards, a built-in VPN (although this isn't available in all regions), AI personalization and Microsoft's "recommended" for optimized browsing.
This is a "Promoted by Microsoft" ad, and a large one at that. It's yet another way Microsoft is urging users to stay on Edge, although I'm not sure if this will stop users in their tracks.
When trying this myself, I received another banner that showed the Microsoft Reward points to gain by trying Edge, with tiles showcasing Amazon, Starbucks, Xbox Game Pass and Roblox gift cards.
Either way, instead of just a small pop-up notification, there's now a full-on banner before reaching the list of search results for Google Chrome.
With Chrome continuing to be the most popular browser around, it comes as no surprise that Microsoft wants you to stick with Edge. According to statistics from analytics firm Backlinko, there are an estimated 3.69 billion users worldwide, compared to Microsoft Edge's estimated 292 million users.
Thankfully, those in the EU won't have to put up with Microsoft begging you to make Edge your default browser, thanks to the Digital Markets Act. However, the rest of the world will still get pop-ups to give Edge a go.
Interestingly, research has shown that Chrome is the hungriest browser around, with Microsoft Edge using far fewer system resources. However, Bing itself, which Edge uses, is only a few steps behind Chrome in the amount of data it collects.
With Microsoft Edge now being promoted as an AI browser, it still has a lot of competition in the market, with Perplexity AI launching its first AI browser, and Opera offering its own agentic AI browser.
We're sure to see more tactics Microsoft uses to turn Edge into the browser for all (instead of Chrome), but if you want to uninstall Microsoft Edge instead, that's always an option.
More from Tom's Guide
- Android head says 'we’re going to be combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform'
- Move over, OpenAI! Opera Neon is a new AI browser that can surf the web and even build games while you sleep
- How to stop your personal data from appearing in Google searches
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