Bing Rewards make their way to iOS and Android
You can now earn gift cards and other perks by searching with Bing on your iPhone or Android phone.
Microsoft on Wednesday announced you can now use its free service which rewards you for searching with Bing, called Bing Rewards, on iOS and Android. Unfortunately, those with Windows Phones will have to wait, as the company its still working on bringing this feature to its own mobile operating system.
It's worth noting this not an app you can download in the App Store or Google Play, but instead a specially designed mobile site that tracks your search behavior so that you can earn rewards.
With Bing Rewards you earn points which you can redeem for gift cards from Amazon, Starbucks, Fandango, and Groupon, to name a few. You can also get free Skype credits, free months of Xbox Live, or turn your points into a donation to one of several charities. You can't yet redeem your points on the mobile version of Bing Rewards, but Microsoft says that feature is coming soon.
To earn points, you just need to sign up for the Bings Rewards program by signing in with your Microsoft or Facebook account on the mobile site. Then, use Bing as your main search engine, and you'll accumulate points each time you run a search. You can also earn points by completing search offers, such as using Bing to plan a trip by searching for flights and hotels. The mobile site also includes special mobile-only search offers that aren't available on Bing's desktop site.
Given that Bing is built by Microsoft and is so deeply integrated into the Windows Phone operating system, it's surprising that the company either didn't build a Bing Rewards site for Window Phone first, or include it with the release of the service for iOS and Android. However, this isn't the first time Microsoft has focused its attention on other mobile platforms before its own, as CNET's sister site ZDNet reported in 2011.