In context: Microsoft has been known to force often-unwanted software (and software updates) on its Windows 10 users from time to time, but this trend became especially frustrating last month. At the time, we reported on Microsoft's little-known plans to swap Google Chrome (and Firefox) users' default search engine to Bing when they install or update Office 365 ProPlus.
This information was first spotted in a Microsoft support article, which stated the following: "Starting with Version 2002 of Office 365 ProPlus, an extension for Microsoft Search in Bing will be installed that makes Bing the default search engine for the Google Chrome web browser."
Obviously, this news wasn't a great look for Microsoft. While the Office 365 ProPlus user base likely pales in comparison to the entire Windows 10 community, the fact that Microsoft tried to pull a fast one on some of its most dedicated customers still didn't sit right with many.
Microsoft had its reasoning for the move, of course, but it doesn't matter too much now: the company is officially backtracking on its decision. In a blog post published today, Microsoft announced that it will not be moving forward with plans to automatically bundle its Bing browser extension with installations of Office 365 ProPlus, and will instead ensure it's "opt-in" only. That arguably should have been the case in the first place, but it is nice to see the tech giant respond to user feedback.
Notably, this news also means the Bing extension won't roll out with version 2002 of Office 365 ProPlus. An "updated timeline" for its release will be provided sometime in the next few weeks, so that's something to look forward to if you just really, really want to be able to auto-install Bing on your system.