Bing.com sings out for April 1

Step one: Turn up your speakers (or put on headphones)

Step two: Point your desktop or tablet browser to Bing.com

Nokia and HERE have had their fun. Now it's Microsoft's turn to turn a visit to Bing.com (which a good number of people will end up doing today) into a noisy prank.

Derek Kessler

Derek Kessler is Special Projects Manager for Mobile Nations. He's been writing about tech since 2009, has far more phones than is considered humane, still carries a torch for Palm, and got a Tesla because it was the biggest gadget he could find. You can follow him on Twitter at @derekakessler.

152 Comments
  • Funny!
  • I don't get it... For me, nothing happens.
  • Of course its 1 april
  • same here, nothing happens; is this another region specific thing because MS are a-holes?  
  • It's US-specific because it uses the same enhanced content framework that is currently only on the US page. I'm sure if they could have done it worldwide they would have, but the framework hasn't rolled out yet. Follow the link in the article to view it in US mode.
  • Your browser html5 codec detection sucks or you didnt use the correct link. https://www.bing.com/?FORM=HPSHTW&mkt=en-US&ssd=20140401_0700
  • It was a delight early this morning watching that little bird singing.
  • Cool
  • Lemme try..
    It should not be a prank again. I mean the article.
  • Think it's another one by wpc, nothing happens :P
  • jajajajaj its April 1
  • https://www.bing.com/?FORM=HPSHTW&mkt=en-US&ssd=20140401_0700
  • No dude, it worked for me! See my comment below
  • That is sort of refreshing with the opera lol
  • It is really cute.
  • Nobody uses Bing outside of the US.
  • i use it and i am in Europe
  • I use it and I'm from Pakistan...
  • I use it and I'm in Asia
  • I use it & I'm from\in Saudi Arabia. :p
  • Yeah ME TOO LOL  
  • High-Five !
  • I use it in the UK.
  • I only use bing and I'm in the UK, haven't touched google for over 2 months now.
  • I haven't used google for about 5yrs. :P (seriously, not April fools)
  • Kudos to you, personally I have been Google free for about 2 years now.
  • I use it and I'm in Indonesia
  • I use it here too! ;)
  • I use it in Guatemala.
  • I use it and i am from germany
  • I use it and I am from Mars.
  • I use it and i am in Sweden
  • I also am in Sweden and I use it everywhere.
  • I use it and I'm from the Universe.
  • I use it and I am in Jordan, and I also use it on my Lumia 1520 and my 8.1 PC
  • Hey Jordanian. Me too. Living in Jordan and using Bing like a boss.
  • Nice, Glad to know I'm not the only Jordanian here. :)
  • Not the only living in Jordan you mean
  • I use it and I'm in turkey
  • I use it and I'm in Brazil.
  • BURN!!! ;)
  • 11 people outside the US use it :-D
    I use Google, it's better in my region (Southern Africa) WPC App for Android - Note 3
  • I use it and i am from Italy
  • I use it in Texas.....oh wait Perry Never succeeded.
  • I see what you did there LOL
  • I use it always on my phone. But sadly, in India, we don't have bing rewards, most of bing online services, and lots more.. Bing doesn't look beyond the usa, sadly..
  • I use it, my gf uses it, my other friends use it, my whole family use it... even on android devices... all from India :P Go figure
  • I use it and I'm in your mom
  • I use Bing exclusively, India
  • I use it and I'm in your mom. Damnitt. I just read the comment above me.
  • I use it and I'm in the Caribbean. :)
  • I use it and i am from Kashmir Valley ;)
  • I use it and I'm in the Philippines. Posted via the WPC App for Android!
  • I use it, I live in India
  • TBH Bing sucks in India..
  • Yeah, most features are not available here.
  • If u use any version other than that of US it does suck...so me in India, have downloaded bing desktop through which u can access US version and trust me it rocks
  • I use it and I am in Poland
  • Start using Google. It's A LOT better in Poland. Or maybe you're a hipster or something. I mean, why do you use something that is worse when you can get better results with Google?
  • I agree. I mean I am a Microsoft fan, but usability and effectiveness comes first for ANY product I use. If Bing sucked here in the US I would surely use google. Now I do recommend any user outside the US or maybe Europe, they should just change their region in settings to US. idk how much that helps but most features will be unlocked.
  • I use Bing on internet explorer on my windows 7 pc and i m from India
  • I use it and i belong to at least this world.
  • I use it and I'm in Latin America (Paraguay exactly). Changed Google for Bing on 2 machines at my office and my coworkers love it. :)
  • your an ignoramus
  • *you're
  • I use it and I'm on some random countries according to a (in)famous US teenager (back then he was teenager :p).
  • I use it, I'm in Indiana. Some people think we are all about corn, but soybeans are big here too.
  • I use it and I'm in Mexico
  • i use it wherever i go
  • I use it under a bridge, I use it in a shoe, I use it several times a day, so does Cindy loo hoo
  • wow u r so cool. just amazing. how do you do that?  
  • I use it in México
  • I use it...Asian user
  • I use it and i'm in my bathroom
  • LOL Best comment so far!!!
  • I use it in China.
  • I'm Brian! And so's my wife! Hold on, that's not the game... seriously though, I use bing in the uk and its just as good as Google. And I don't seem to notice sponsored links etc.
  • I used it and I am from the NSA
  • I'm affraid you came to the website that has in it all the Bing users in the World.   I'm not one of them, though.
  • I stopped using Bing completely as it is useless outside the US, and I'm in Egypt!
  • I use it from space.
  • I use it from the future. McFly!!! is that you?
  • +1.21 jiggawats
  • I use it and I'm from Germany:)
  • I'm using it and I'm from Indonesia.
  • I use only Bing in Argentina!!
  • I'm from Brazil and I use...Bing, mainly bing translator is much better than google translator.
     
  • And now your inbox is full...
  • Hahaha, amazing response to an idiot comment.
  • Europe and using Bing. Google is totally useless in every way.
  • I do, and I'm in Ecuador
  • I ONLY use bing and I'm from Denmark.
  • I use and I'm brazilian.
  • I have used it exclusively for the last three years, and I'm in New Zealand.
  • I use it from India, bee-atch!
  • "misfortune" of visiting Bing? I'd reword that.
  • Completely agree. Geez.
  • +2520
  • Misfortune of being assaulted with opera.
  • My my, the fat lady sings!
  • I think they can tell that the regular WPC didn't post this article. ;)
  • Didn't work for me.
  • Buy new speakers
  • Use your WP device.. It works. Just open the desktop version of Bing on your phone, in IE, and tap the screen, or bird..
  • Must be region restricted. Didn't work for me too, and my speakers are fine btw.... jeez
  • Yeah i too doubt that. Didn't work for me either. Neither phone nor PC.
  • nor me. neither phone or 8.1 on laptop. I'm UK
  • Did not work for me until I opened Bing in IE and selected the US version.
  • Thanks man!
    Opening the US version worked in my WP in Desktop mode.
    http://www.bing.com/?mkt=en-us
  • I pranked our other technicians by installing Android on a bunch of Windows computers via Windroy
  • +928
  • Hey Derik K.. It works on WP devices also❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕
    ........................
    Just go to the desktop version of Bing in IEM, and tab the bird❕
  • Umm... How to access desktop Bing in IE on WP8?
  • Go into IE settings and change default to Desktop instead of Mobile.
  • Just use the search key.. Search for Bing, then select it from the list.. It'll be at the top.... Keep you browser settings on desktop.
  • Derek calling it a misfortune to visit Bing is the reason I'm slightly skeptical of the "newsroom" concept. In theory, it sounds nice, but even if you just report news, you can still add bias to the information. Just my opinion though.
  • ☝This
  • Same here...I like Bing and prefer it greatly over Google. I'd say, its misfortunate to visit Google!
  • Poor choice of words on his part.. He didn't mean it that way... He meant misfortune of being pranked.. Let's not become over sensitive WP fans..
  • Misfortune as in being assaulted by opera. Not using Bing — I don't judge how you choose to search.
  • We won't look down on Microsoft fanboys for using Bing even though it's always been nothing more than a pathetic failed attempt to copy Google.  Really!  Ok no, that's a lie.  We will.
  • Apparently being one of the best search engines in the world is 'pathetic' and 'failed'. Uhuh...
  • one thing you need to know about the comment section at wpcentral, any words will be twisted to hurt their feelings and YOU will be attacked...sorry derek its not you its the insane people who read wayyyyyy to far into words that remotely come across as negative towards windows.
  • There is more than this though.  Even the "trending news" topics are pranks!
  • Yeah i noticed that too !
    Even more to that ! Read my comment below and check your mail ! (if you've signed up for some bing service)
  • Some are pranks, but some aren't.
  • I'll admit that I felt kinda bad when I read some of the headlines and thought they were pranks. "what? That girl from Roseanne got married haha nice try Bing Ne... Oh wait"
  • Yay we landed on the sun!!!
  • Even bigger pranks !!! Just unbelievable !!
    Everyone check your outlook mails in the newsletters section !!
    You'd have the bing newsletter of the month..
    But the funny thing is, the stuff it mentions is:
    A) downright silly
    B) insane
    C) not possible right now with the tech we have
    D) when you click on 'see here' etc links... Well i leave it to you :-P
    E) doesn't exist on bing !! :-P you wont get any results ! (yes i got taken into the joke and i binged it 3-4 times :-P)
    F) exciting to imagine for some people.. (i mean pet lovers) Go check !!
  • Strange, no one has noticed those pranks yet ? NO PEOPLE I'm not kidding !
    You'd see the future of wearables in that mail, and also, the future of voice recognition !
    I'm not kidding i swear !
  • Well nothing happening on Indian bing.com page.
    MS just achieved a new level in partiality. Yes! Even pranks are US (and few select countries) only! :|
  • It did play on my pc. Though I've set my bing account region as usa, but i don't think that should've been the main reason, they detect the ip a hell lot of times. Maybe your internet is slow.
    Do one thing, open it on laptop and see if you have a 'play' button in the lower right corner, if you have it, then it should work sooner or later..
    Maybe it took time to buffer.
  • umm..no..it's not working..
    and my net is pretty fast..
    and i tried to load it on my PC only.. ah well..never mind.. :)
  • I played it again, i had to click on the play button at the lower right corner, you sure you dont have it ?
    Go BING (not google, bing gives description) 'flying penguin hoax' and watch the video which comes at the top, it'll make your day ! :)
  • :P
  • Cute!
  • seems faster
  • Simple yet awesome! WPC App for Android- Lenovo IdeaTab A3000
  • Doesn't do anything here (Europe)
  • I found it didn't work with Chrome, I had to open with ie
  • Oh. I heard that this morning. I thought it awful. I should maybe of had my cupa tea first.
  • doesnt seem to work on any web browsers but internet explorer. Tried on Chrome and Safari. (and IE, which worked)  
  • do you have to be on internet explorer for it to work? 
  • Nope. Tested it in Firefox and Chrome too.
  • maybe...but my chromebook, ipad, and windows phone are not making noise...maybe im deaf -.-
  • Only worked in IE for me.
  • Wow....  Is it April 2nd yet?  Light news day.  Can't wait for tomorrow!!!!
  • That was hilarious when I heard tho this morning.
  • Only works in IE for me as well 
  • Scared the heck out of me and my dog this morning. A bird singing opera.
  • For non-US region, go to Settings, then Worldwide, and choose US - English.
  • I was on a conference call and folks wondering what's going on. Including me. April fools!