Windows 10 update has a super annoying pop-up — here's the fix

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Microsoft is super keen on getting you to use Bing and it's really annoying

Windows 10
(Image credit: ymgerman / Shutterstock)

A Windows 10 update has ushered in the return of the Bing pop-up, which no one wanted to see. Microsoft is still trotting out its search engine, trying to lure people into changing their browser settings, offering incentives like saving money via the Microsoft Rewards program.

The alerts doing the rounds are irksome, And while banishing the pop-ups doesn't seem to be an obvious option, there is a workaround (via WindowsLatest).   

You can dismiss the pop-ups when they ambush you, but that's a temporary fix, and we're here to make sure you don't see them again at all. To get rid of them permanently (or until the next update that brings them to the forefront again) you'll need to boot up Microsoft Edge. 

Bing ad pop-up

(Image credit: Windows Latest)

Navigate to the URL bar and input "edge://flags". You'll be presented with a selection of 'experimental features'. To kill the Microsoft Bing pop-ups, find the 'Show feature and workflow recommendations' options in the list and choose to deactivate it.  

The pop-ups are particularly annoying as the less tech-savvy user might assume that their PC needs to be updated and start clicking through. It won't be until Bing has elbowed their first-choice browser out of the way that they'll notice anything is amiss. 

The alerts seemingly rolled out with the Microsoft Edge version 91 update, so be on the lookout and be sure to nip them in the bud as soon as they start appearing.   

Shabana Arif
Shabana Arif

Shabana is T3's News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). As well as contributing to Tom's Guide, she's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies.