Microsoft officially adds Bing AI chatbot to Google Chrome
Those of you who want to take Microsoft's Bing AI for a spin are no longer restricted to trying it in the Edge browser or the Bing mobile app. On Friday, Microsoft announced that the Bing Chat tools for individuals and enterprises are now officially available in the Google Chrome browser. This means that Chrome users can browse to the Bing website, open a chat session, choose a conversation style, and seek out information or generate content.
In late July, Bing AI started its journey to non-Microsoft browsers, popping up in Chrome for Windows and Apple's Safari for MacOS, at least for select users. In early August, Microsoft revealed that its AI was heading toward more people and more third-party browsers, promising that Bing and Bing Chat would eventually be available on any modern browser via the website.
Also: Maybe Bing isn't trying to compete with Google after all
On my end, I was able to use Bing AI in Chrome in Windows 10, Windows 11, and MacOS. I also managed to access it in Firefox on one Windows computer but not on another, a sign that Firefox support is slowly rolling out.
Beyond touting Bing AI's support in Chrome, Microsoft announced other enhancements.
Organizations that have set up the new Bing Chat Enterprise can now access it in the Bing mobile app. Users are able to open and sign into the app with their work accounts and then click the Bing Chat button to access the enterprise version of the tool. Plus, people who use the Microsoft SwiftKey keyboard on their iPhones, iPads, or Android devices can now access Bing Chat 30 turns per day without having to sign in to their Microsoft account.
Despite the expansion of Bing AI into other browsers and apps, Microsoft is still trying to steer people to Edge by offering certain benefits, including longer conversations and a history of your chats. Using Bing AI in Chrome, you're also restricted to five messages per chat compared to 30 in Edge. Some browsers, such as Safari, limit you to 2,000 characters per request versus 4,000 in Edge. Plus, a popup window keeps appearing, prompting you to use Edge to chat with Bing.
Also: How to use Bing Chat (and how it's different from ChatGPT)
Otherwise, Bing AI works similarly in other browsers as it does in Edge and the Bing app. Select a conversation style -- More Creative, More Balanced, or More Precise. Write and submit your question or request. In response, Bing answers your question or generates content for you. You can then submit further queries about the same topic or start a new subject. Beyond creating text, Bing can also cook up an image based on your description.