Microsoft will force Bing as the default search engine in Chrome for Office 365 ProPlus customers
People aren’t happy about Microsoft’s latest push to force Bing onto users.
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What you need to know
Office 365 ProPlus customers will soon have the Microsoft Search in Bing extension forcibly installed in the Chrome browser (via ZDNet). The extension will be installed beginning with Office 365 ProPlus version 2002, which is set to start rolling out in February. The extension will roll out first to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, but other countries will receive it over time. AMicrosoft documentoutlines the upcoming change and further explains Microsoft Search in Bing.
Theextensionallows people to access enterprise search powered by Microsoft Search, including viewing SharePoint suites, OneDrive content, and Microsoft Teams and Yammer conversations. The extension also makes Bing the default search engine for the browser you install the extension on.
While the features provided by Microsoft Search in Bing may be nice in some cases, many people expressed frustration online over the forced switch. AReddit threadincluded hundreds of comments on the topic, many of which are negative.People on GitHubexpressed similar frustrations. A common phrase people use in these threads is browser hijacking, claiming that Microsoft is trying to force people to use its services by hijacking Google Chrome.
People’s main concern seems to be the forced nature of the switch. There are ways toexclude the extension from being installedwith either the Office Deployment Tool or a Group Policy, but these aren’t the same as making it a simple option. ZDNet points out that you canuninstall the extensionafter its forced installation.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
