Microsoft Adds Coronavirus Information Links to Windows 10 Search

Microsoft has added a new feature in Windows 10 that makes it easier to access the latest information on coronavirus. With the pandemic disrupting economies across the globe, there is news and information coming in from everywhere and with this new feature, Windows 10 users can get their news with just a couple of clicks. The search bar in Windows 10 now shows a tile or banner that gives you two options to get the latest coronavirus updates. One option is for the interactive map while the other is linked to the MSN website.

First spotted by the Italian publication HTNovo, the feature has been baked right into the operating system. Clicking on the search bar in the taskbar on Windows 10 shows a tile that says, “Get the latest coronavirus updates.” This tile or banner has two options, “View interactive map” and “See headlines.” Clicking on the first option takes you to the Bing interactive map that shows latest coronavirus information like total confirmed cases, total recovered cases, as well as fatal cases. It also shows country-wise and state-wise data. Clicking on the second option, “See headlines”, takes you to the “All about Coronavirus” section on MSN's ‘Coronavirus' tab. Here, you can see the latest news from MSN partners. Hovering over the “View interactive map” option shows “Bing COVID-19 Tracker” while hovering over the “See headlines” option shows “Coronavirus News of MSN.”

Clicking on either of these options opens Microsoft's Edge browser. Interestingly, even if the default browser in Windows is set to Google Chrome, clicking on the options still opens Edge.

The tile or banner can also be removed by simply clicking on the ‘X' button besides it.

We were able to spot this banner in Windows 10 version 1903 and beyond.