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Microsoft Search in Bing helps the users in your organization quickly find work-related information, including people, files, internal sites, and more. Searching for this information is as easy as searching the web. For more information, see What is Microsoft Search in Bing?

To help your users take advantage of the benefits of Microsoft Search in Bing, we're making an extension available for the Google Chrome web browser. This optional extension will be available only in specific locations for domain-joined devices running Windows. If you decide to deploy this extension, it sets Bing as the default search engine for Google Chrome and provides easier access to Microsoft Search capabilities. If Bing is already the default search engine, the extension doesn't get installed. Even after the extension is installed, an On/Off toggle easily allows your users to stop using Bing as the default search engine.

Deployment of this optional extension relies on a background service, which we're making available with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (previously named Office 365 ProPlus). Even with the background service installed, you have control over the deployment of the extension. For example, the extension won't get installed on devices in your organization unless you opt in. You can opt in by selecting a specific setting in the Microsoft Search section of the Microsoft 365 admin center. For more information, see How does the Microsoft Search in Bing extension for Google Chrome get installed?

The background service is included with Version 2005 or later of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, for both new installations and for updates to existing installations. For more information, review this table.

What is Microsoft Search in Bing?

Microsoft Search in Bing enables your users to use the familiar browser address bar and search box to find workplace information more easily. For example, documents, internal sites and business tools, people and org charts, and other relevant information from within your organization. Microsoft Search in Bing searches across files, SharePoint sites, OneDrive content, Teams and Yammer conversations, and other shared data sources in your organization, as well as the web.

Microsoft Search is the native search experience in Microsoft 365, so no initial setup is required for access within Office apps. Microsoft Search in Bing enables easier access through the address bar. You can improve the search experience for your users by adding content, such as bookmarks, Q&As, acronyms, building locations, and floor plans. For more information, see How to enhance Microsoft Search in Bing results for your organization.

Users must be signed in with their work or school account to receive results from Microsoft Search in Bing. For more information, see Security and Privacy for Microsoft Search in Bing.

For more information about features and capabilities, see the following resources:

Microsoft Search and How to Set it Up(Microsoft Mechanics video)
Overview of Microsoft Search(documentation)

How does the Microsoft Search in Bing extension for Google Chrome get installed?

Several things have to happen for the Microsoft Search in Bing extension to be installed for Google Chrome on the user's device.

You must opt in by configuring a setting in the Microsoft Search section of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
A background service for Microsoft Search in Bing must be installed on the user's device. This background service is included with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
The device must meet specific criteria for the extension to be installed.

For more information, see the following sections.

Configure the setting in the Microsoft 365 admin center to allow the extension to be installed

To allow the extension to be installed, sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with your admin account. Then, go to Show all > Settings > Search & intelligence > Configurations, and then choose Edit.

Note

Search & intelligence was previously named Microsoft Search.

There you'll see the Install extension and set Bing as the default search engine check box. The check box is not selected by default, as shown in the following screenshot.

To allow the extension to be installed, select the check box, and then choose Save.

If the extension has been installed on devices in your organization, and you clear the check box and choose Save, the extension is removed and Bing is no longer the default search engine on those devices. These changes might take up to 24 hours to take effect on those devices.

Assign the extension to groups of users

You can choose to provide the extension to everyone in your organization or specific groups of users. The option to provide the extension only to specific groups of users allows you to do the following in your organization:

Pilot the use of Microsoft Search in Bing to a subset of users before deploying more broadly.
Deploy the extension only to groups of users that will benefit most from using Microsoft Search in Bing.

Changes that you make to which users get the extension can take up to 24 hours to take effect on their devices.

Install the background service for Microsoft Search in Bing on the user's device

Another requirement is that a background service for Microsoft Search in Bing needs to be installed on the user's device. This background service is included with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, starting with Version 2005. For more information, review this table.

Once the background service is installed, it checks whether the setting in the Microsoft 365 admin center is selected. That check is made once a day.

This background service gets installed automatically on the user's device only if all of the following criteria are met:

You're installing or updating to Version 2005 or later of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
The device is running Windows.
The device is joined to an Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain in Windows Server.

Note

The background service is not installed if the device is joined only to an Azure Active Directory (AAD) domain.

Also, the background service is not included with any of the following types of Office:

Microsoft 365 Apps for business (previously named Office 365 Business)
Office for Mac
Volume licensed versions of Office 2019, such as Office Professional Plus 2019

You can also manually download and install the background service.

If you don't want the background service installed, see How to prevent the background service for Microsoft Search in Bing from being installed.

Criteria that need to be met to install the extension

If the check box is selected in the Microsoft 365 admin center and the background service is installed on the user's device, the background service then looks to see if the following criteria are met:

The device is located in one of the specified locations.
Google Chrome is installed on the device.
Bing is not already the default search engine for Google Chrome.

If all those criteria are met, then the extension is installed on the user's device and Bing is made the default search engine for Google Chrome with easier access to Microsoft Search capabilities.

Note

The extension won't be installed on the user's device if Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise is deployed in an Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) GCC, GCC High, or DoD environment.

For what happens next, see What your users will see with Microsoft Search in Bing.

Tip

If you're expecting the extension to be installed, but it isn't getting installed, check to make sure that you haven't done anything to prevent the background service from being installed with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. Also, using a policy setting to enforce a different default search engine or to control extensions on Google Chrome will prevent the extension from being installed. For example, if you're using t

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