How to use Bing Chat in Windows 11

Microsoft on Tuesday released a new feature update to Windows 11. The unnamed update (which may be referred to as the February 2023 Update or Windows 11 22H2 Moment 2) adds a good number of features including screen recording, power recommendations, and more. But the major enhancement is the addition of Bing Chat, which is now integrated within Windows 11 for the first time.

With this update, Microsoft has enhanced the search bar on the Windows 11 taskbar. Instead of just acting as a functional button, you can actually start typing in it – although the search box will open as before.

Watch carefully, though, because when you open the search box, you’ll notice two new icons: the Bing icon in the upper right, as well as an increased number of tabs at the top of the search box. The tab already included a list of included options apps, document, Web, and so on. Now they will also include a new entrant: talk,

The search box’s behavior will change depending on what you do with it: If you simply click on the search box, the various topic tabs, including chat, will no longer appear. Instead, you’ll see the Bing icon in the top right, offering to open the search function within Microsoft Edge. If you started the search by typing in the box, a list of tabs will open, including a chat option.

In either case, clicking the Bing icon or selecting Chat from the tab will take you to the same place, Bing’s chat interface, or Bing Chat. (It’s possible that this default behavior can be tweaked or updated; for example, opening the search box within Edge via the Bing icon may eventually take you to the Bing home page. However, for now, you can Will end up at the same place.)

Mark Hachman / IDG

If you want to search using the traditional list of results, select Web from the list of tabs. It appears that, for now, talk is the default option.

The search box is also enforcing the use of Microsoft Edge, even if you’ve instructed Windows to use a different browser by default, such as Google Chrome. After switching the default browser from Edge to Chrome, we tried using the search box again. As expected, the Bing icon (with the “Open in Edge” tooltip that appears when you hover your mouse over the icon) opened Bing Chat in Edge. talk However, the option also gave no indication that it was overriding the user’s preferences. Microsoft executives have previously said that eventually Bing Chat will be supported on other browsers, but for now the only option seems to be Edge.

Mark Hachman / IDG

We haven’t tried using Bing Chat’s integrated search on a local account. There doesn’t appear to be any information on the limits Microsoft applies to Bing Chat, although the company limits Bing’s creativity and limits on the number of interactions per session and per day. Those limits appear to be about six questions per session and about 100 sessions per day before Bing Chat asks you to change topics. (Those numbers reflect Microsoft’s judgment at press time and will likely change.)

Microsoft is also adding a “Temperature” option to Bing Chat to allow you to choose between creativity and accuracy, but we haven’t seen those options in either the Windows settings or the web interface. Microsoft has said that opting for a more creative version of Bing Chat will initially reduce its accuracy.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Also remember that you can always save Bing Chat or ChatGPT and run them as Windows apps as well.

What it all boils down to, however, is that Bing Chat isn’t really “integrated” into Windows, as it uses the Microsoft cloud and the Edge web browser to generate results. It’s essentially a shortcut—but one that’s still easier to find and use than before.