Microsoft just fixed local searches in Bing Chat

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It's now easier to find locations and businesses near you through Bing Chat.

Bing Chat running on the iPhone SE
(Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft rolled out several improvements to Bing Chat this week.
  • Bing Chat now supports 20 turns per session and up to 200 per day.
  • Image and video search also made their way to Bing Chat this week.
  • Microsoft improved local search results within Bing Chat as well.

Bing Chat gains new features on a regular basis. Over the last week, Microsoft added image and video search to the chatbot (note that image and video search is different than Bing Image Creator). The tech giant also raised the limit on turns to 20 per session and 200 per day.

Search results should also be better for those looking for content that's local to their area. For example, people searching for a park or a store should now see results near their location.

Here are all of the examples of what changed that Microsoft shared this week:

  • 20/200 Chat Turns: We increased the maximum turns in a single conversation from 15 to 20. The total number of turns per day has also increased from 150 to 200.
  • Image and Video Search: We integrated image and video search into Bing chat.  You’ll see these results appear as answer cards below your chat answers, and you can click “See more” if you want to explore further in Bing image search.  If you can’t find an image you’re looking for, try making one with Image Creator.
  • Local Grounding: We know from your feedback that Bing chat needed better grounding for local-related queries.  This week, we delivered enhancements to make Bing give better answers if you’re trying to find a park, a store, or a doctor’s office near you.  Expect us to make further improvements in local grounding based on your feedback.

Microsoft also fixed some issues and address gaps in Bing Chat within the Edge Sidebar:

  • Bringing the context enhancements announced on March 17 to Edge sidebar, helping you summarize much larger pages and documents.
  • Supporting Bing Image Creator in Edge sidebar (in Creative mode).
  • Making the sidebar load faster and preventing it from loading with a blank screen at first launch.
  • Preventing conversation resets that occurred when Edge was left running for a long time.
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Sean Endicott
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_.