The headline refers to a November 29, 2023 report—not a new universal Microsoft policy announced in 2026. Users reported that a separate daily Microsoft Edge search bonus had disappeared, with the reported value at 20 points per day in the United States and 12 points in some other markets. Microsoft acknowledged that it regularly adjusts Rewards earning methods and frequency, but it did not specifically confirm the Edge-bonus removal, a universal search cooldown, or every other change described in the report.
The practical answer today is that Microsoft Rewards has changed substantially since 2023. Bing searches and some Edge-related activities can still earn points, but eligibility, caps, tiers and offers vary by country, account and device. Check the live Rewards dashboard rather than relying on old screenshots or point-maximizing guides.
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What was reportedly removed in 2023?
The reported change concerned a separate Edge-search bonus, not Microsoft Rewards as a whole and not necessarily all points earned from Bing searches.
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The reported figures were:
- United States: 20 additional points per day.
- Some other markets: 12 additional points per day.
Those were historical, market-specific figures reported in November 2023. They are not current global rates, and they should not be used to calculate what a Rewards member can earn now.
What Microsoft confirmed—and what it did not
Microsoft did not publish an itemized announcement saying that it had removed the Edge bonus worldwide. Its response, as reproduced in the report, was broader: Microsoft said that Rewards evolves and that it adjusts the methods and frequency through which members can earn points.
That statement supports the idea that program changes were taking place, but it does not specifically confirm:
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- that the Edge-search bonus was eliminated for every country or account;
- that every user lost the same number of points;
- that Microsoft introduced one fixed, universal delay between searches;
- that the Xbox Rewards app change was part of the same confirmed update.
The most accurate description is therefore: users and media reported the removal of an Edge-specific bonus, while Microsoft acknowledged ongoing Rewards adjustments without confirming each reported detail.
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Edge bonus versus ordinary Bing search points
These rewards are easy to conflate, but they are not necessarily the same benefit.
| Activity or benefit | What the 2023 report established | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying Bing searches | Not described as being eliminated altogether. | Search points remained a separate part of the program, subject to limits and eligibility rules. |
| Separate Edge-search bonus | Users reportedly saw it disappear; the reported value was 20 U.S. points or 12 points in some other markets per day. | This was the specific bonus at issue, not all Edge or Bing rewards. |
| Other Edge activity offers | Not necessarily covered by the reported removal. | Browsing, app or promotional offers can be separate and may vary by account. |
| Daily Set, quizzes and polls | Not identified as part of the Edge-bonus change. | These activities could continue independently when available. |
| Xbox activity | The report mentioned an unconfirmed possibility involving the Xbox Rewards app. | It should not be treated as an officially confirmed part of the same November change. |
| Microsoft Store purchases | Not identified as being eliminated by the Edge change. | Store earning rules and promotions are separate and may differ by market. |
A missing Edge tile therefore does not prove that Microsoft has removed every Edge-related earning opportunity. It may indicate that a particular offer ended, changed markets, moved to another interface or is unavailable to that account.
Why users also reported delays between searches
The 2023 report said that some users could no longer complete qualifying searches rapidly one after another. They reportedly had to wait several seconds between searches for activity to count.
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Microsoft’s current guidance is clearer about the underlying qualification standard: searches should be manually entered for the user’s own research, and searches generated by bots, macros or other automated methods do not qualify. Search activity can also stop earning once the applicable daily counter has been reached. See Microsoft’s Edge and Rewards search rules.
In practical terms, rapidly submitting repetitive searches may fail to credit even if the account has not visibly reached its limit. Genuine research searches are the safer approach.
The Xbox Rewards app was a separate timeline
The November 2023 report also mentioned an unconfirmed possibility that Microsoft could retire the standalone Rewards app on Xbox and consolidate the experience into a Rewards hub. That was not confirmed as part of the Edge-bonus change at the time.
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How Microsoft Rewards worked around the time of the report
In 2023, members could generally earn points through a mixture of:
- Bing searches;
- Microsoft Edge usage or Edge-specific bonuses;
- Daily Sets, quizzes, polls and surveys;
- Xbox activity;
- eligible Microsoft Store purchases; and
- limited-time promotions or account-specific offers.
Points could be exchanged for rewards such as gift cards, sweepstakes entries and charitable donations. They are not cash, and redemption value is not a universal fixed exchange rate. Microsoft’s support material has used an approximate example in which about 5,000 points may correspond to a $5 reward, but the actual offer, market and redemption options matter. See Microsoft’s guide to earning Rewards points.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the current system differs
As of the current public information available in August 2026, Microsoft describes a more regional and tiered system than the one many users remember from 2023.
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Microsoft’s Rewards support overview and its About page indicate that:
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- earning methods and daily limits vary by country or region;
- search limits can depend on membership level;
- PC and mobile activity should not automatically be assumed to provide two fully additive pools of search points;
- some accounts may see a monthly default-search bonus tied to setting Bing as the default search engine and searching on at least 14 days of the month;
- tiered presentations such as Member, Silver and Gold may affect available benefits; and
- additional bonuses and offers may be restricted by market, account, device or promotion.
Microsoft’s public pages still describe ways to earn through Bing searches and, in some contexts, Microsoft Edge or the Edge mobile app. They do not establish that the exact 20-point U.S. Edge bonus from 2023 still exists in its original form.
Do not retroactively apply current labels or caps to the 2023 program. Conversely, do not assume that a 2023 screenshot shows what a member should see now. The live dashboard is the authoritative place to check an account’s available activities and remaining counters.
Why your Rewards searches may not be earning points
A lower total or missing search credit does not automatically mean that Microsoft has permanently removed a benefit. Check these possibilities in order:
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Confirm the account. Make sure Bing, Edge and the Rewards dashboard are signed in to the same Microsoft account.
- Check the dashboard. Use the Rewards page rather than relying only on a browser pop-up or a local counter.
- Check the daily limit. You may have reached the applicable PC, mobile or overall search allowance. Current guidance warns that counters and limits vary by market and membership level.
- Check Give Mode. If Give Mode is enabled, points may be directed to the selected cause rather than added to your own balance. Turn it off if you want credits applied to your account.
- Stop artificial search patterns. Avoid macros, bots, automated searches, VPN-based location changes and rapid repetitive queries.
- Use genuine searches. Microsoft says qualifying searches should be manually entered for your own research purposes.
- Check region and offers. An activity visible in another country or in another user’s screenshot may not be available to your account.
- Allow for synchronization. Browser data, account changes and dashboard totals may not update immediately.
- Contact support if the problem continues. If a genuine, eligible activity still does not credit after the account and limit checks, use Microsoft Rewards Support.
Is Microsoft Edge still worth using for Rewards?
That depends on why you use it.
- Use Edge if you already prefer it or if your current Rewards dashboard displays an Edge-specific offer.
- Do not switch browsers solely for the old 20-point assumption. That figure was a reported U.S. value from 2023, not a current guaranteed benefit.
- Compare the live opportunity cost. If Edge offers no visible bonus on your account, the value may come from ordinary qualifying searches or a temporary promotion rather than from a permanent browser bonus.
- Do not try to manufacture points. Automation, VPN manipulation and artificial search behavior can prevent crediting and may violate Microsoft’s rules.
Timeline
- November 29, 2023: Neowin reported that many users had lost a separate daily Edge-search bonus and had encountered delays between qualifying searches.
- November 29, 2023: Microsoft acknowledged that it was adjusting Rewards earning methods and frequency, but did not publish a detailed confirmation of each reported change.
- Later coverage in 2024: Reporting described the transition from the standalone Xbox Rewards app toward a Rewards hub.
- 2026: Microsoft’s public Rewards materials describe a substantially revised, tiered and region-dependent system with changing caps, offers and search rules.
The bottom line
The old Edge-search bonus was reportedly removed or withdrawn for many users in late 2023, but Microsoft did not confirm a universal, itemized policy change. The reported 20-point U.S. bonus and 12-point figure in some other markets are historical numbers, not current guarantees. Bing and some Edge-related earning opportunities remain available in the current program, but the account dashboard, country, membership level and daily limits determine what you can actually earn.
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