Microsoft has some advice for those stuck on the Bing waitlist

Microsoft launched the new ChatGPT-powered Bing about a month ago, though not everyone can use it. This is because the new Bing is still in preview, with access limited to only those who joined the waitlist. However, some users registered with their Microsoft account weeks ago and still haven’t gotten through the waitlist. Microsoft has a piece of advice for those people.

According to Michael Schechter, VP of growth for Bing at Microsoft, one of the reasons you are stuck on the Bing waitlist is that your Microsoft account profile does not include your birthday. Schechter has also said that Microsoft will not approve users’ requests to try the new Bing unless they update they include their birthdates on the Microsoft account profile page.

However, many have criticized Microsoft’s move to offer access to the ChatGPT-powered Bing to those using a birthday on their profile. A Twitter user said that Microsoft could have asked users to reveal their age when they signed up to try the Bing experience instead of the birthday requirement on the Microsoft account profile page.

If you've been stuck on the @bing waitlist for awhile (and have done the speedups), please check your Microsoft account profile to ensure your birthday is there – https://t.co/cj6TMz9rCJ

If we don't know your birthday, we can't approve you!

— Michael Schechter (@mikeschechter) March 9, 2023

Microsoft’s new Bing now has 100M Daily Active Users, though it still remains a small player in the search market with a single-digit market share. The software giant is hoping to lure more people into using the Bing search with new features, including the upcoming “Celebrity” mode, in which the bot will impersonate celebrities of your choice and answer all your queries. Microsoft will also increase the chat limit in the coming months to allow users to interact with Bing more often.

In a recent blog post, Microsoft said that it will improve the Bing experience to “deliver the next generation of search.”

Have you tried the new ChatGPT-powered Bing yet? If yes, you can share your experience with us in the comments section.