Microsoft adds AI-powered Bing to SwiftKey app on iOS, Android

New Delhi: Microsoft has announced the addition of AI-powered Bing capabilities to the SwiftKey app (a third-party keyboard) on iOS and Android.

This new addition will allow users to chat with the AI chatbot directly from their mobile keyboard and search for things without having to switch between apps.

SwiftKey has been part of the Microsoft family since 2016.

"Bing integrates in three major ways - Search, Chat, and Tone. The update is available today. Once you've got the update, you'll see the Bing icon above the keyboard. From there you can click on the exact feature you�d like to use; Chat, Tone, or Search," Microsoft said in a blogpost.

With the Chat functionality, users can access the new Bing on the go for more detailed queries, while, with the Tone feature, users can communicate more effectively by using AI to customise their in-progress text to fit any situation.

Moreover, the Search functionality will let users quickly search the web from their keyboard without switching apps.

"These new features in SwiftKey are accessible in all markets where the new Bing is available; anyone can use Search now while accessing Tone and Chat requires that you sign into your Microsoft Account that has been approved to access the new Bing preview," the company said.

Further, the tech giant introduced the "translator functionality" in the mobile Bing app, which will offer alternative masculine and feminine translations when translating from English to Spanish, French, or Italian.

This feature will allow users to choose the gendered translation that best fits their context and is helpful for well-intentioned speakers of all proficiency levels.

The company also expanded Bing access to Skype so that everyone in a group chat can now chat with the new Bing.

Only one person in the group needs to have access to the preview.

This means as a group you can use the new Bing from within the Skype app just like you'd use the new Bing on a desktop; you can use it to, for example, settle a debate, help plan a group trip, or find a restaurant for you all to meet at in person, according to the company.

The new Bing is now also available via the Microsoft Start app too, for users who have cleared the waitlist.