Microsoft Rolls Out Standalone Tool to Force Bing Across Windows 11 Browsers
Microsoft released a standalone tool called MicrosoftSettings.exe (Microsoft Recommended Search Settings) that prompts users to set Bing as the default search across Edge, Chrome, and Firefox and then installs a Chrome extension to enforce Bing, followed by a redirect to the Microsoft Rewards page after setup; the app isn’t distributed via Windows Update or the Microsoft Store and uses a WinUI shell with WebView2 to push the extension. Chrome and Brave warn about the extension, and prompts to revert can appear, illustrating Microsoft’s ongoing effort to push Bing across browsers—even allowing sign-in to Bing with Google or Apple accounts.
