Microsoft’s Bing Chat, powered by ChatGPT-4, is gaining popularity with multiple releases across various platforms, including the Edge web browser, Bing apps, Skype, and more. Now, the first integration of Bing Chat into the Microsoft Edge browser for Android is here, although users need to enable it first to use it. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how to enable Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge for Android and iOS.

Enabling Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge for Android

Microsoft has made it easy to enable Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge for Android. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Open Edge Flags

In the Edge address bar, type in Edge://flags to open Edge Flags.

Step 2: Search for Bing

Search for “Bing” in the search box.

Step 3: Enable New Bing Always Show on Toolbar

Select Enable under the menu item for “New Bing always show on toolbar.”

Step 4: Restart the Browser

Restart the browser to apply the changes.

Once the browser relaunches, you’ll see the new Bing Chat logo placed in the middle of Edge’s toolbar at the bottom for one-click access to the AI, which allows voice or text input depending on user preference. The implementation is similar to how Bing Chat works in the Android apps for Bing and Start but lets the user stay within the Edge browser.

Using Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge for Android

After enabling Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge for Android, you’ll be greeted with the Bing Chat onboarding screens, letting you know about the new addition. But besides that, you can begin using the AI service immediately, including image-generating abilities. It’s worth noting that the feature (via edge://flags) should be available across all the Edge for Android versions, including Dev, Beta, and Canary, in addition to production.

However, the feature is not yet complete in Edge. For instance, if you pin the Edge search bar widget to your Android home screen and hit the microphone, it defaults to the old Bing search results, although the new Bing Chat UI will pop up over it. Microsoft has not yet detailed its plans for Edge on Android, but we assume the microphone button will eventually go directly to Bing Chat.

Enabling Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge for iOS

Enabling Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge for iOS is similar to enabling it in Edge for Android. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Update Edge on iOS

Update Edge on iOS to the latest version (version 111.0.1661.62).

Step 2: Open Edge Flags

In the Edge address bar, type in Edge://flags to open Edge Flags.

Step 3: Search for Bing

Search for “Bing” in the search box.

Step 4: Enable New Bing Always Show on Toolbar

Select Enable under the menu item for “New Bing always show on toolbar.”

Step 5: Restart the Browser

Restart the browser to apply the changes.

Once the browser relaunches, you’ll see the new Bing Chat logo placed in the middle of Edge’s toolbar at the bottom for one-click access to the AI, which allows voice or text input depending on user preference.

Conclusion

As the popularity of Bing Chat increases, Microsoft is pushing hard to integrate it into more places for ease of use. It’s great to see Bing Chat arrive in Microsoft Edge for Android and iOS. Microsoft is likely to ship this new feature in Edge for Android (and iOS) in the coming weeks without the need to enable the hidden flag. Still, at least you can start using it today if you like the free service (especially since there is no longer a wait for