Why You Should Avoid Installing the Bing Wallpaper App on Windows
Microsoft is making headlines again, this time with its Bing Wallpaper app for Windows. While the app offers high-quality wallpapers to refresh your desktop, its behind-the-scenes activities have raised serious concerns.
Security experts and Windows developers are warning users to avoid this app, calling its behavior intrusive and potentially harmful.
What Is the Bing Wallpaper App?
The Bing Wallpaper app is a free tool that updates your desktop with stunning, high-resolution images from Bing. It’s designed to enhance the Windows 11 experience. However, beneath its attractive features lies a set of questionable practices that have drawn widespread criticism.
What’s Happening Behind the Scenes?
According to Windows developer Rafael Rivera, the app does more than just provide wallpapers. It secretly installs Bing Visual Search and accesses tracking cookies from both Edge and Chrome browsers. Rivera, responding to a user on X, stated:
“It will automatically install Bing Visual Search and has code to peruse and decrypt your Edge and Chrome cookies.”
This revelation has led many experts to label the app as intrusive, with some describing its behavior as borderline malware.
Microsoft’s Response
When approached by The Register, Microsoft denied claims that the app decrypts all user cookies. A spokesperson clarified:
“The Bing Wallpaper app does not peruse and decrypt all user Edge and Chrome cookies.”
However, the company admitted that the app checks Bing cookies to prevent repetitive installation prompts, leaving questions about the full extent of its data-handling practices.
Why Are Experts Concerned?
- Data Privacy: The app allegedly accesses browser cookies without user consent, raising privacy concerns.
- Forced Integration: It encourages users to set Bing as the default search engine across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
- Malware-Like Behavior: Critics, including Neowin, suggest the app’s tactics blur the line between legitimate software and malware.
Windows Central describes these practices as “underhanded tactics to force Bing/Edge on users,” emphasizing that Microsoft should focus on the merits of its products rather than coercive methods.
A Pattern of Behavior
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has faced criticism for pushing Bing and Edge on users. Similar tactics were observed during Chrome installations on Windows, where Edge was aggressively promoted. Microsoft has also implemented automatic data transfers, such as bookmarks, from Chrome to Edge to simplify user migration.
Such practices have sparked ongoing debates about the ethics of bundling services with an operating system and disadvantaging competitors.
Comparison with Google
ut proper disclosure, making it difficult for site owners to opt out.
Both tech giants are under scrutiny for prioritizing business interests over user preferences and transparency.
Should You Install the Bing Wallpaper App?
Experts strongly advise against installing the Bing Wallpaper app. The app’s background activities, including its cookie access and forced integrations, make it a risky choice for privacy-conscious users.
As The Register puts it:
“If the app is free, the company will surely seek some way to monetize it.”
What You Can Do
- Avoid the App: Refrain from downloading and installing the Bing Wallpaper app on your PC.
- Monitor Installed Apps: Regularly review the apps on your system for any suspicious activity.
- Choose Alternatives: Use trusted wallpaper apps that focus solely on desktop customization without hidden features.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft’s Bing Wallpaper app may seem harmless, but its intrusive behavior has raised red flags in the tech community. Until Microsoft addresses these concerns transparently, it’s best to steer clear of the app.
For now, stick to apps that respect your privacy and offer a straightforward user experience.
Sources:
Forbes,
The Register
