A controversial Microsoft Recommended Search Settings application was discovered on Microsoft’s official download server. The application’s only function is to install an extension in available browsers to make Bing the default search and set Bing as the homepage. After the installation is completed, it opens a page that provides “rewards” for changing search engines.
The application has a WinUI shell with a WebView2 component. The installer size is 22.2 MB. On the first and only page of content, it offers to set Bing as the default search engine – the corresponding switch is immediately active. After the user agrees and completes the settings, clicking the “Done” button will open the “Microsoft Rewards” page in the Edge browser.
In fact, Chrome and Brave browsers have flagged the Microsoft Bing homepage and Chrome search extension as suspicious. Chrome warns that it can read and change data on all sites visited, display notifications, change search settings and change the start page on bing.com. Meanwhile, the extension has a four-star rating based on 110 reviews and has been installed by 5 million users. Interestingly, Chrome immediately offered to restore Google as the default search engine and display a similar search engine from Microsoft in the corresponding window, and advised against doing so.
Additionally, Microsoft decided to give away $1 million to Bing users – again underscoring how difficult it will be to replace Google as the most convenient default search.
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