When you’re searching the web, having a search engine that aligns with your needs is paramount. While Bing has a substantial user base, many people prefer other search engines like Google or Yahoo.
If you find Bing’s automatic integration on your Chrome, Firefox, or Edge browser, or in Microsoft’s voice-activated assistant Cortana, bothersome, worry not.
This article is designed to help you reclaim your browsing experience by guiding you through a step-by-step process to remove Bing.
What is Microsoft Bing?
Bing is a web search engine owned and operated by Microsoft. Launched in 2009, it was designed to provide a unique, more visually immersive approach to web search, differentiating it from the then-dominant Google search engine.
Bing incorporates a variety of search services, including web, video, image, and map search products. Bing serves as the default search engine for Microsoft’s web browser, Microsoft Edge, and digital assistant, Cortana.
It also forms the backbone of Yahoo’s search services as part of their Yahoo & Microsoft Search Alliance. Despite being the second most used search engine globally, Bing sometimes gets set aside in favor of other search engines, often due to personal preference or perceived better search results quality from competitors.
How to Get Rid of Microsoft Bing on Different Devices
Here are the methods to get rid of Microsoft Bing:
Remove Bing from Google Chrome
Change Default Search Engine: Open Chrome and navigate to ‘Settings’ via the three-dot menu on the top right. Under ‘Search engine’, select your preferred search engine from the ‘Search engine used in the address bar’ dropdown menu.
Remove Bing Extension: Check your extensions by clicking the three-dot menu > More Tools > Extensions. Locate Bing and click ‘Remove’.
Ditch Bing on Mozilla Firefox
Change Default Search Engine: Open Firefox, click the three-line menu > Options > Search. Under ‘Default Search Engine’, select your desired search engine.
Remove Bing Add-on: Visit the ‘Add-ons and Themes’ page through the three-line menu. Under ‘Extensions’, find Bing and select ‘Remove’.
Extract Bing from Microsoft Edge
Change Default Search Engine: In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services. Under ‘Services’, find ‘Address bar and search’ and choose your preferred search engine.
Remove Bing Extension: Under the three-dot menu, go to ‘Extensions’. Locate Bing and select ‘Remove’.
Swap Bing with Another Service in Cortana
Change Cortana’s Search Engine: Unfortunately, Microsoft designed Cortana to use Bing inherently, and there’s no in-built option to change it.
However, a workaround is using the Chrometana or EdgeDeflector applications, which can redirect Bing searches to your preferred search engine.
Conclusion
You should now have the knowledge needed to navigate your way around Bing’s automatic integration in various browsers and services.
Remember that these changes aren’t permanent. If you ever wish to return to Bing, you can follow these instructions in reverse to reactivate it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the frequently asked questions to this topic:
Q1: Is Bing owned by Microsoft?
Yes, Bing is owned and operated by Microsoft.
Q2: How does Bing differ from Google?
Bing’s results are more focused on social media integration and are visually more vibrant, with a changing background image. Google has a minimalist design and arguably better search algorithms that many users prefer.
Q3: Is it possible to completely remove Bing?
While you can change your default search engine and remove Bing extensions or add-ons from your browser, Bing may still appear in specific instances, like when using Microsoft Edge or Cortana. These Microsoft services inherently use Bing for web searches.
Q4: Is Bing safe to use?
Yes, Bing is safe to use. Like any other search engine, it uses advanced security protocols to ensure user safety. However, always exercise caution when clicking on search results from any engine, as the content of individual websites is beyond the control of Bing, Google, or any search provider.
Q5: Does changing my default search engine affect my browser’s performance?
Changing your default search engine shouldn’t noticeably impact your browser’s performance. However, it can alter your user experience by varying search results and how they’re presented, depending on the chosen search engine.
