Bing Image Creator now has a home in the Edge Sidebar, at least for now

Microsoft Edge Sidebar
(Image credit: Future)

What you need to know

  • Bing Image Creator is now available within the Sidebar of Microsoft Edge for some users.
  • Microsoft is testing out the Sidebar as another place to generate images with Bing Image Creator, which is powered by DALL-E 2.
  • Bing is considered one of the best free AI image generators available by many experts.

The Sidebar of Microsoft Edge contains many tools that improve the web browsing experience. It already housed a shortcut for Bing Chat, and it now has a new tool from Bing. Microsoft is currently testing Bing Image Creator within the Sidebar of Edge.

Mikhail Parakhin, CEO of Advertising and Web Services at Microsoft shared a screenshot of the tool in action plus some insight regarding the future of Bing Image Creator within the Sidebar.

"We are trying this new tool on Edge sidebar: Bing Image Creator. The thesis is: generate the image and insert it right into whatever you happen to be editing," said Parakhin. "We have a pretty high usage bar for the icons there, if engagement is not stellar, we'll move it behind the plus sign."

For now, Bing Image Creator is being tested as a standalone icon within the Edge Sidebar. Parakhin noted that if it proves popular, the tool will remain there. If it isn't used by enough people, it will still be available but live behind the plus button within the Sidebar.

It seems to be in limited testing, so you may not see it within your browser at this time.

Bing Image Creator is one of the best AI image creators, especially considering what it can do for free. It has a simple interface and is powered by DALL-E 2.

Microsoft is testing Bing Image Creator within the Sidebar of Edge. (Image credit: Mikhail Parakhin on Twitter)

Microsoft's tool stood up fairly well in our post comparing Bing Image Creator vs Midjourney.

"If you simply want to get fun ideas or experiment with AI image generators, then the free Bing Image Creator is more than equipped for the task," said our Gaming Editor Rebecca Spear.

"However, if you want something that can produce more realistic details at a consistent rate, then Midjourney is the better choice."

With the addition of Bing Image Creator to the Edge Sidebar, there's one more way to use the tool. Thanks to it being with Edge, you can drag and drop images the tool creates into documents or social media posts on the web.

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Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.