Microsoft Ships Windows 11 Tool That Installs a Bing Extension in Chrome, Firefox, and Brave

Microsoft has created a standalone application for Windows 11 that installs a Bing browser extension in Chrome, Firefox, and Brave and then asks users to make Bing their default search engine.

The tool, known as Microsoft Recommended Search Settings, is distributed as a 22.2 MB installer named MicrosoftSettings.exe and is available on Microsoft's download servers rather than through Windows Update or the Microsoft Store.

The executable was found by Windows tester Xeno Panther, and a test report published on August 22, 2026, details how the tool functions after installation. The setup screen has the option to switch to Bing set to "Yes" from the start.

Microsoft states that the tool is optional and that explicit consent is required at various stages.

How Microsoft's Bing Extension Tool Works

When the pre-toggled setting is accepted, the Microsoft Bing Homepage and Search extension, which has been published by Microsoft, is installed into the supported browser that the installer identifies, after which the Microsoft Rewards offer page is opened. Edge is not included in the rollout because it already has Bing as its default.

The extension has a rating of four stars based on approximately 110 reviews and is listed as having around 5 million users. Both Chrome and Brave show warnings when it is being installed, informing users that the extension is capable of reading and modifying data on all websites, displaying notifications, and taking control of the home page, the start page, and the search settings.

People who agree and then attempt to revert to Google via Chrome's own prompt are shown a message from the Bing extension asking them to keep it; this message cautions that switching back will turn off the Bing wallpapers and search.

The researchers looked at the installer and found that the sequence, which involved an unrequested extension being installed in connection with a change to the default search and a redirection to the rewards page, matches the kinds of patterns that are usually associated with browser-hijacking software. The app, however, has Microsoft's own code-signing certificate and demands that the user click through a consent screen before any settings are changed.

The reaction on Reddit was mostly negative, with a post that was widely circulated stating that the app's only purpose is to "ask whether you want to change your default search to Bing".

Microsoft stated that the tool is optional, that changing one's default search engine involves giving explicit consent at several stages, and that home users who refuse will not see any changes to their settings.

How to Remove the Bing Extension and Restore Search Settings

Users who already have the extension installed can undo the change in a few steps:

1. In Chrome, Firefox, or Brave go to the extension management page and uninstall Microsoft Bing Homepage & Search.
2. Set the preferred search engine in the browser's settings.
3. IT administrators who are in charge of Windows 11 fleets should check whether MicrosoftSettings.exe has appeared in the environment and make sure that the existing group policies still prevent the installation of unauthorized browser extensions.

The app continues a long-standing trend of Windows-level prompts encouraging the use of Bing and Edge, having previously in 2021 made it more difficult to open links in browsers other than Edge.

The app comes at a time when Microsoft is reducing the number of Windows 10 users who receive updates, since Microsoft 365 feature updates for the older operating system will cease after version 2608, and OneDrive's desktop client will only keep receiving new features on Windows 10 version 22H2.

Microsoft has already come under pressure from EU regulators regarding the practice of bundling its own services with mandatory upgrades, particularly in the context of the Digital Markets Act and the way it structured the free Windows 10 security updates in that region. In the end, the company provided those updates without making enrollment in Microsoft Rewards a requirement.

Microsoft's Bing Push and Recommended Search Settings Availability

The push by Microsoft to promote Bing occurs as the company makes use of OpenAI's technology in its competition with Google, building upon the search features powered by GPT-4 that it has introduced to Bing since 2023.

According to StatCounter's data from July 2026, Bing has about 4.5 per cent of the global search engine market compared to Google's roughly 91 per cent, a gap which has narrowed only slightly since the AI features on Bing were launched.

The Microsoft Recommended Search Settings tool is hosted on Microsoft's download servers and is not distributed automatically via Windows Update or the Microsoft Store. Microsoft regards the tool as optional, and users who do not agree to it notice no difference.

It is not yet known how widely the tool is being shown to users, nor whether Microsoft intends to make its distribution more extensive. At the same time, Microsoft is preparing Windows 11 version 26H2 as a low-disruption enablement package to be released in the fall.

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