Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Edge browser users are now greeted with a pop-up if they try to search for “Chrome Web Store” in Bing.
- The pop-up encourages you to “Enjoy your favorite extensions without switching browsers.”
- This pop-up appears to be Microsoft’s latest tactic to discourage the use of Chrome.
Microsoft has a long history of trying to nudge users to use its products and only its products. This is especially the case when it comes to Edge’s battle against Chrome, which has included tactics like prompting you to reconsider if you try to download the Chrome browser. Microsoft’s latest strategy to deter you from switching is a new pop-up that’s appearing in Bing.
As spotted by Windows Report, if you attempt to search for “Chrome Web Store” in Bing on Edge, you’ll see a new banner on top of the results page discouraging you from switching browsers. The advertisement reads, “Enjoy your favorite extensions without switching browsers.” It’s followed by further details claiming Edge provides more privacy, productivity, and value. Clicking on the “Try now” button will transport you directly to the Edge Add-ons Store.
This pop-up seems to only appear if you’re using Bing in the Edge browser. You won’t see this banner if you use Bing on any other browser like Chrome or Firefox.
You can’t really blame Microsoft for wanting users to stay within its ecosystem. In fact, Google has similarly tried to nudge users toward Chrome when its services are used in other browsers. However, Microsoft’s tactics often seem more aggressive than others. At least this ad is only appearing on Edge when using Bing.
