Earlier today, Microsoft started rolling out the new ChatGPT-powered Bing to early testers worldwide. The early preview of Bing works like a charm on desktop, and it’s also coming to Android and iOS in the coming weeks, according to sources familiar with the development and an email sent out by Microsoft today.
Details are light, but sources confirmed Microsoft is working on a “substantial optimized interface” for Bing’s AI chat for Android and iOS, which includes “all-new OpenAI-powered content.” In an email sent out to testers, including Windows Latest, Microsoft confirmed that the mobile experience is not yet ready.
“We don’t have a mobile experience ready yet — we are actively working on it and will have it ready soon. Until then, please continue to use the new Bing on desktop and download the Bing app from your favourite app store to ensure you are ready for the amazing experience when the mobile version is ready,” the company said in the email.
This news is intriguing, considering Google also announced Brad for mobile, a new AI search engine chatbot similar to ChatGPT. Google is planning to launch Brad for select users sometime this month.
Currently, we can access Bing AI on desktops via browsers like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. On Android, Bing.com says you’ll need to join a waitlist to try out the ChatGPT integration. It still includes a link to log in with your Microsoft account, and you’ll be automatically on the list.
Microsoft has a few suggestions to move up the list, but this won’t help you access Bing on Android or iOS. That’s because Microsoft has disabled Bing AI for mobile, which means you won’t be able to use the AI even if you have cleared the waitlist on the desktop.
According to sources familiar with the development, Microsoft is still optimizing Bing AI for mobile form factors. An update to the Bing app will bring this functionality to Android and iOS.
The new Bing AI mobile experience could roll out in the “coming weeks”, a source who wished to remain anonymous told us.
In the email, as shown in the above screenshot, Microsoft confirmed Bing mobile experience is not ready, but more details will be shared soon, and users are advised to download the mobile app from Play Store or Apple App Store.