Bing Chat goes dark and FINALLY rolls out to Chrome and Safari
You can now access Bing Chat on Chrome and Safari.
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What you need to know
At the beginning of this year, Microsoft plunged intogenerative AIface-first with its own AI Copilot for the web,Bing Chat, shortly after extending its partnership with OpenAI following itsmulti-billion-dollar investment. Many users have shown interest in the technology represented byBing’s 100 million daily active usersmilestone.
A ton of new features and updates have shipped to the AI-powered assistant, including the capability toask the chatbot questions using your voice,visual search, and more.
Unfortunately, the chatbot has been exclusive tothe Microsoft Edge browser, at least until recently, thus limiting the chatbot’s accessibility to a finite number of users. Many users have long awaitedBing Chat to make its way to other browsers, though it’s still possible toaccess the tool on any browser via extensions.
Microsoft isfinallyavailing the chatbot to third-party browsers, specifically, Google Chrome and Safari,as spotted by Windows Latest. And while this expands the tool’s reach, its offerings will be limited on both browsers.
First, Bing Chat’s word prompt is limited to 2,000 characters, which is significantly low compared to the 4,000 limit on Microsoft Edge. Next up, the chatbot’s turn limit on Google Chrome and Safari is set at five turns, which is a major setback, especially for users who would prefer to generate in-depth and long-form content. This is also asignificant downgradecompared to Bing Chat’s30 chats per session and 300 chats per day limiton Edge.
And lastly, users accessing the chatbot via Chrome and Safari will occasionally receive pop-ups, prompting them to download and transition to Microsoft Edge for a better experience.
In other Bing Chat news, the chatbot now sports a dark mode. To apply the new theme, navigate the settings, clickAppearance, and selectDark or System Default. It’s worth noting that the feature is not available for everyone yet, though it’s expected to hit general availability soon.
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Windows Central’s take
Last week, while launching Google Chrome on my Windows PC, I received a prompt totry the new AI-powered Bing, which redirected me to enable the Microsoft Bing extension to set Bing as my default search engine.
However, the chatbot’s offerings were significantly limited, as I couldn’t access Chat Mode. I was informed that the feature was only available to users with access tothe new Bing.
Bing Chat making its way to other browsers is an incredible feat, though the limitations are quite concerning. Evidently, you’ll need to switch to Microsoft Edge to get the full Bing Chat experience.
Users have expressed reluctance to switch to Edge in the past couple of years because of its “bloatedness.” As such, it will be interesting to see whether users will transition to access the tool. At the same time, Google has availed Bard across other third-party browsers, ultimately expanding its reach to more users.
Microsoft already shippedBing Chat to broad availabilityand scrappedthe Microsoft Account requirementto access the tool. It’ll be interesting to see the next steps the company takes.
Apple is also reportedly working on its ownChatGPT AI alternativeto take on Google and Microsoft. The tool will be based on Apple’s large-language model dubbed Ajax.
Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.
