Microsoft’s Bing Chat is no longer exclusive to the Edge browser, as it’s now rolling out to Chrome and Safari, The Verge reported. “We are developing access to Bing Chat in Safari and Chrome to select users as part of our testing on other browsers,” a Microsoft spokesperson said The Verge. “We’re excited to expand access to even more users once our standard testing procedures are complete.”
It appears to be more than a little test, as a number of users (including me on Chrome, but not Safari) have gained access. However, there are a few limitations. You must be signed in to your Microsoft account, and queries are limited to 2,000 characters compared to 4,000 on Edge. Conversations are canceled after five prompts, not 30, and it keeps asking you to download Edge (never change, Microsoft).
Bing Chat is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, giving users access to the latter’s features without having to pay. However, there are some differences, as Bing Chat has access to Bing search while ChatGPT-4 itself does not, so it can provide more up-to-date information and sources for answers. However, OpenAI’s chat generally provides more detailed answers. A paper has recently come out claiming that ChatGPT-4’s capabilities have weakened, but some experts downplayed the conclusions.
In addition to releasing it for other browsers, Microsoft also introduced a dark mode for Bing Chat. To use it, click on the hamburger menu in the upper right corner and select “Appearance/Dark.” This feature may not be available to all users yet.