Do not install this application on your computer
Microsoft’s mission to push Chrome users to Edge has made a lot of headlines. And now it seems that if it can’t get users to switch browsers, switching search engines is the next best thing. Chrome is clearly less of a problem if Bing is used.
That’s the conclusion behind the latest warning hitting Windows users around the world, as a Microsoft app is accused of secretly decrypting Chrome’s tracking cookies, installing Bing search and, of course, pushing users to switch to Edge.
The free Bing Wallpaper app is a good wallpaper app—nice, high-quality images to liven up your Windows 11 experience. But it’s what’s going on under the covers that’s making headlines, as revealed by a teardown published on X.
Windows developer Rafael Rivera responded to another X user correcting the misconception that the free wallpaper app was priced at $50, suspension it’s “probably safer to pay $50 than to install it on your computer. It will automatically install Bing Visual Search and have code to read and decrypt Edge and Chrome cookies.”
Bing Wallpaper in Windows Store
Consent is to avoid application. As The Registry explains, “in short, you might want to take a pass on installing this one – it’s another in a long line of questionable data collection practices from Microsoft that show no signs of slowing down – after all, if the app is free, the company will surely look some way to win it.”
Rivera’s thread includes screenshots of the app that annoys users into setting Bing as the default search engine in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. And his deep dive into what’s going on behind the scenes has led to several alarming headlines suggesting that the app is indeed exhibiting malware-like behaviors.
“Microsoft is up to some shady old tricks again with the new Bing Wallpaper app,” he says Windows Central“again talking about misguided tactics to force Bing/Edge on users, instead of selling the products on their merits.”
Neowin goes further, suggesting that “Microsoft’s free Bing Wallpaper app for Windows is borderline malware.” It’s obviously not malware, but it revisits questions about where the red line is between running an operating system and marketing products to users of that operating system in a way that puts the competition at a disadvantage. Microsoft has done the same under the guise of improving business security.
We’ve seen this before with Chrome installations on new Windows machines being broken with a push to Edge as a fallback, and automated migration of bookmarks and other data from Chrome to Edge to simplify the conversion.
Microsoft said The Registry that “the Bing Wallpaper app does not read and decrypt all Edge and Chrome user cookies.” The special response is remarkable and The Registry added that “Microsoft further noted that the app performs a Bing cookie check to avoid repeatedly offering users the Bing app if it is already installed, but did not otherwise address the app’s handling of cookies.”
The wallpaper app isn’t new, but it’s new to the Windows Store. And while these practices play to an already sensitive audience, there’s also something buyer beware of when installing an app with Bing in its name.
There is also an irony when it comes to the Chrome component of this review. Google just came under fire for inserting its own search links on other people’s sites and for an unreasonably arduous process required to disable it.
However, my advice would be to avoid the app and not install it on your computer. It may be best to avoid any apps with so much activity going on in the background when the focus is clearly to lead you in specific directions and specific products.
I’ve reached out to Microsoft for further comment on this latest craze.
