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Microsoft Warns Users Against Installing Bing Wallpaper App

The initiative of Microsoft to encourage Chrome users to shift to Edge has gathered significant media attention. It appears that if the company is unable to pressure users to change their browsers, the next strategy would be to influence them to adopt a different search engine. Using Bing seems to present some complications for Chrome users. 

The notion is highlighted by a recent alert which was directed at Windows users globally, it states that a Microsoft application is alleged to be covertly decrypting Chrome tracking cookies. It may install Bing as the default search engine on the device and direct servers towards Edge. 

A user on X shared a detailed analysis mentioning that, The Bing Wallpaper app along with offering aesthetically pleasing and high-quality images to boost the experience of Windows 11 has come under scrutiny for its hidden activities.  

Windows developer Rafael Rivera addressed a user on X who had mistakenly claimed that the Wallpaper app was priced at $50. He stated that it might be safer for the users to play $50 than install it on their machine. I will by default install Bing Visual Search which consists of code to pursue and decrypt Edge and Chrome cookies on the device. 

The prevailing opinion is to avoid using the application, The Register noted, “In short, you might want to take a pass on installing this one – it’s another in a long line of questionable data gathering practices by Microsoft that show no sign of slowing down – after all, if the app is free, the company will surely seek some way to monetize it.”

Discussions of Rivera include images of the application that prompts the users to set Bing as their default search engine across Firefox, Chrome and Edge. He came across several reports because of his investigations into the operations of the application that alarmed the users suggesting that it may exhibit behaviour similar to malware.

Posted by

Suchita Gupta

Tech Journalist