It’s worth noting the figures in light of Microsoft’s significant investment in artificial intelligence in recent months. Through its multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI, Microsoft has integrated its Edge browser and Bing search with the ChatGPT chatbot to appeal to more users. However, the latest market share numbers suggest that Microsoft still has some ground to cover.

While the AI-powered updates to Edge and Bing may have initially piqued users’ interest, it’s possible that the recent market share results are influenced by the number of devices in circulation.

In May 2022, Atlas VPN published a study revealing that Apple’s Safari browser had a reach of over 1 billion users across all device types, including iPhones and Mac computers. In contrast, Microsoft Edge served approximately 212,695,000 users. While Edge is compatible with rival devices and systems, its primary usage is on desktops, which may limit its reach compared to other browsers.

Microsoft’s limited presence in the smartphone market, outside of niche devices like the Surface Duo, may further restrict its potential user base. Meanwhile, Apple’s Safari browser is available on all generations of iPhones, while Google’s Chrome browser is used on its own Pixel devices and in partnership with multiple smartphone brands worldwide.

To attract more users, Microsoft has been adding new features to Edge and Bing, such as offering reasons to favor Bing over Google when users search for “Google.” Additionally, a split-screen feature pulls up Bing chat results when users try to use Google Bard on Edge.

Apple has taken similar steps, such as implementing an age restriction of 17 and older on AI-infused apps like Microsoft Edge and BlueMail, which features ChatGPT, on the Apple App Store. This restriction does not apply to the Google Play Store.