Microsoft Clarifies Bing-Switching App is Optional

Microsoft has clarified that its Bing-switching app is optional and won't change default settings without user consent. The company responded to backlash over its new app, which pushes Bing search and the Bing homepage onto every browser on a PC.

The Microsoft Recommended Search Settings app isn't distributed through Windows or Edge, meaning users can choose to download and install it if they want to switch their default search engine to Bing.

In testing, the app did change the default search engine in Chrome and Brave from Google and Brave Search to Bing, but this was a deliberate choice made by the user. The app also adds an extension called Microsoft Bing Homepage & Search to browsers, which allows for changes to be made at any time.