Microsoft Pours Gas on Edge Adoption Fire with New Referral Program

Microsoft is expanding its efforts to attract users to its Edge browser by launching a new referral program for mobile devices. The program rewards existing Edge users with up to 90,000 Microsoft Rewards points, redeemable for gift cards and other prizes.

The referral program works as follows: current Edge users can invite friends who have not used the browser before through a unique link. Each friend who signs up earns the user 500 Microsoft Rewards points, while the new user also receives points after searching with Bing for two days within their first two weeks of using Edge.

The maximum reward is capped at 7,500 points per month, or around $90 if redeemed for a gift card. This is not the first time Microsoft has used incentives to promote its browser: last year, it offered 1,300 Rewards points to those who searched for 'Chrome' in Bing and tried Edge instead.

Microsoft's efforts to increase Edge adoption are part of a broader pattern of paying developers and users to create content for its platforms. This strategy has been ongoing since the days of Windows Phone.