How to Use Bing Search Engine

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: October 23, 2024 Fact Checked

This wikiHow teaches you how to use the Bing website to search for content online. Bing is a Microsoft-owned alternative to Google, and thus can be used in any web browser or as an app on your smartphone. You can also set Bing as the default search engine in Chrome, Firefox, or Safari if you wish; if you use Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer, Bing is the search engine by default.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

On Desktop

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Go to https://www.bing.com/ in your computer's web browser.
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Sign in if necessary. If you want to use your Microsoft account with Bing, click Sign in in the top-right side of the page and then enter your Microsoft email address and password. Signing into Bing has a few perks:^{[1]
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- You can view and edit your search history from both the current session and any other computer on which you're signed into Bing.
- You can adjust settings for your Bing searches.
- You can earn points toward Bing Rewards.
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It's a white text box at the top of the Bing page.
Type in the word or phrase for which you want to search.
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Click the "Search" icon. It's a magnifying glass icon in the far-right side of the search box. Doing so searches Bing for your word or phrase.
- You can also just press ↵ Enter to search Bing.
Scroll down through the list of search results; if you find one you want to select, click it to open it.
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Organize the results. If you want to see a specific type of search result, you can click any of the following tabs at the top of the search results page:
- All — Shows all search results.
- Images — Shows only image results.
- Videos — Shows only video results.
- Maps — Shows only map-related results.
- News — Shows only news-categorized results.
- Shopping — Shows only shopping (e.g., Amazon and eBay) results.
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View your Bing search history. If you're signed into Bing via your Microsoft account, you can see your searched items: click ☰ in the upper-right corner of the page, then click Search history in the resulting drop-down menu.
- You can remove items from your Bing search history by clicking View and delete search history near the top of the page, signing into your account, clicking Clear activity, and clicking Clear.
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Change SafeSearch restrictions. Again, if you're signed into Bing through your Microsoft account, you can change your search restrictions to enable (or hide) adult content:
- Click ☰ in the upper-right side of the page.
- Click SafeSearch in the resulting drop-down menu.
- Check one of the "SafeSearch" boxes (e.g., to remove SafeSearch restrictions, check "Off").
- Click Save at the bottom of the page.
- Click Agree if prompted.
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Use Bing Rewards. When you're signed into Bing, you earn a certain number of points for using Bing to search, using Bing in Microsoft Edge, and so on. You can see a list of current Bing Reward challenges by clicking the trophy icon in the upper-right side of the page.
- If you earn enough points, you can redeem them for a prize (e.g., a free month of Xbox Live Gold) or use them to enter a raffle for monthly give-aways such as laptops and gaming equipment.

Part 2

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On Mobile

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1
Download the Bing app. Bing is available as a free app on both iPhone and Android smartphones:
- iPhone — Open the
  App Store, tap Search, tap the search bar, type in bing and tap Search, tap GET next to Bing, and enter your Touch ID or Apple ID password if prompted.
- Android — Open the
  Play Store, tap the search bar, type in bing and tap Search or Enter, tap Bing, tap INSTALL, and tap ACCEPT if prompted.
Tap OPEN in your smartphone's app store, or tap the Bing app icon.
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Sign into Bing if necessary. If you want to be able to view and clear your search history and see your Bing Rewards, sign into your Microsoft account by doing the following:
- Tap the person-shaped icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen (on Android, it's in the top-right corner).
- Tap Sign in.
- Enter your email address and phone number.
It's a magnifying glass icon in the middle of the screen.
Type in whatever word or phrase you want to search for.
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Tap Search. It's in the keyboard. Doing so searches Bing for your entered word or phrase.
- If you don't want your current search to be saved to your Bing history, first tap the "Private" switch (or "Private Search" switch on Android) above the keyboard.
Scroll through the list of search results to do so; if you see one you want to open, tap it.
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View your search history. If you're signed into Bing, you can see your account's search history by tapping the profile icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen and then tapping Search History.
- If you want to clear your smartphone's Bing search history, tap DELETE at the top of the page, then tap Clear search history when prompted.
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Use Bing Rewards. When you're signed into Bing, you earn a certain number of points for using Bing to search each day. If you get enough points, you can exchange them for a reward or a raffle entry.
- You can check your Bing Rewards progress by tapping the profile icon and then tapping Rewards in the resulting menu.

Part 3

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Using Bing by Default on Chrome

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Click or double-click the Chrome app icon, which resembles a red, yellow, green, and blue sphere.
It's in the top-right corner of the Chrome window. A drop-down menu will appear.^{[2]
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This is in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Settings page.^{[3]
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You'll find it near the middle of the Settings page.^{[4]
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Click the "Search engine used in the address bar" drop-down box. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu to appear.^{[5]
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- This box will usually have Google written in it.
It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so sets Bing as your browser's default search engine; from now on, when you enter a word or phrase into the address bar at the top of the browser, you'll see Bing search results instead of your previous default.
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Set Bing as the default in the Chrome mobile app. If you want to use Bing as the default Chrome search engine on mobile as well, open Chrome, then do the following:
- Tap ⋯ (iPhone) or ⋮ (Android).
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Search engine.
- Tap Bing.
- Tap DONE (iPhone only).

Part 4

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Using Bing by Default on Firefox

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Click or double-click the Firefox app icon, which resembles an orange fox wrapped around a blue globe.
This is in the top-right corner of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.^{[6]
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Click Options. It's in the drop-down menu.
- On a Mac, you'll instead click Preferences here.
You'll find this on the left side of the window.^{[7]
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This option is near the top of the Search page. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.^{[8]
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It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so sets Bing as your browser's default search engine; from now on, when you enter a word or phrase into the address bar at the top of the browser, you'll see Bing search results instead of your previous default.
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Set Bing as the default in the Firefox mobile app. If you want to use Bing as the default Firefox search engine on mobile as well, open Firefox, then do the following:
- Tap ☰ (iPhone) or ⋮ (Android).
- Tap Settings in the menu.
- Tap Search.
- Tap the current search engine at the top of the screen (iPhone) or Bing (Android).
- Tap Bing (iPhone) or Set as default (Android).

Part 5

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Using Bing By Default on Safari

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Click the Safari app icon, which resembles a blue compass, in your Mac's Dock.
It's in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
This option is in the Safari drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Preferences pop-up window.
It's a tab at the top of the pop-up window.^{[9]
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This is near the top of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.^{[10]
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It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so sets Bing as your browser's default search engine; from now on, when you enter a word or phrase into the address bar at the top of the browser, you'll see Bing search results instead of your previous default.^{[11]
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Set Bing as the default in the Safari mobile app. If you want to use Bing as the default Safari search engine on your iPhone as well, do the following:
- Open your iPhone's
  Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Safari.
- Tap Search Engine.
- Tap Bing.

Common Questions: Using Bing & Bing AI

How do I access Bing AI?

Bing AI is now called Copilot. You can access Copilot by going to www.bing.com and clicking the Copilot button in the top-left corner. You can also click the Ask Copilot button on the Bing landing page.^{[12]
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How do you get the best results with Bing AI?

Write prompts that are specific and detailed, but not too lengthy. Avoid vague concepts and instead ask precise questions.^{[13]
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Is Bing AI free to use?

Copilot (formerly Bing AI) is completely free. However, it does have a limit of 300 conversations per day and 30 turns per chat session, and Copilot's responses cannot be more than 2,000 characters long.

Is Bing better than Google?

Ultimately, it comes down to personal choice. Bing has less local information, as more users tend to use Google to give ratings and reviews to local businesses. However, Bing does have Copilot (formerly Bing AI) and a Rewards system that gives you redeemable points for doing searches.

Tips

The Windows search bar uses Bing to return web results.

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If you sign into your Microsoft account in Bing, you'll be able to see search results from any web browser or Windows computer on which you're signed in under the same account.

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