Microsoft aggressively promotes Edge over Chrome with pop-ups in Bing search results

Some users might have seen that Microsoft is pushing Edge over Chrome by displaying pop-ups in Bing search results, urging users to use Edge extensions instead of Chrome’s. Our folks over at Windows Report first spotted it.

The pop-up reads, “Enjoy your favorite extensions without switching browsers. Keep using it to get world-class performance with more privacy, more productivity, and more value. Try now.”

Then, after clicking “Try Now,” you’ll be redirected to the Edge Add-ons Store, seemingly to discourage folks from using Chrome extensions.

It’s no secret that Microsoft has a thing to promote its products, sometimes in over-the-top ways. This is part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to retain users within the Edge ecosystem, using various tactics like pop-ups, banners, and altered search results. It’s been happening for years, and rest assured that this isn’t the only or last time.

A while ago, Microsoft aggressively promoted Edge by placing a large banner ad on the Chrome Canary download page, telling users Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome but with added Microsoft trust.

Still from Edge-related news, the browser’s Game Assist feature has officially launched in the stable version 132, which lets you access in-game guides without switching to a browser in a nonintrusive way.

The update also brings support for more extensions, ad blockers, and keyboard shortcuts while phasing out the PromotionalTabsEnabled policy. Other than that, security vulnerabilities, including two privilege escalation CVEs and 13 Chromium-related fixes, have been addressed in this release.