Developing
Tests seen by a few users. Microsoft has not announced either change.
In 60 seconds
- Khushal Bherwani first posted screenshots of a Bing local pack without its normal small outline border on October 7, 2026; Schwartz reproduced it and published his own on October 9.
- Separate reports from Bherwani (October 6) and Sachin Patel show snippets without favicons; one example was a sponsored ad.
- Schwartz says he cannot replicate the favicon change and that results look "much less graphical" and "naked" without them.
- Microsoft has not announced either change.
Impact Layer
- What changed
- Bing is experimenting with how local packs and snippets look.
- Why it matters
- Favicons and local pack styling affect how a result stands out, so a rollout could change click-through.
- Who is affected
- SEO and local search teams, and brands that rely on Bing traffic.
- Martech stack area
- SEO & Search
- Stack impact
- No action beyond checking that your favicon and local listing are in order. Compare Bing click-through if the change spreads.
- Business impact
- Low Small tests seen by a few users, with no announcement from Microsoft.
- Related technologies
- What to watch
- Whether either test becomes permanent.
Search Engine Roundtable published two short reports on Bing result-page tests on October 9, 2026.
Local pack without a border
Microsoft Bing is testing local pack results without the small outline border that normally surrounds them. Khushal Bherwani first posted screenshots on X on October 7. Barry Schwartz reproduced the behavior and published before-and-after screenshots on October 9.
Snippets without favicons
Bing is reportedly testing the removal of favicons from search result snippets. Bherwani’s screenshot of October 6 showed a sponsored ad without a favicon, and he asked whether it was a bug. Sachin Patel posted comparison screenshots, and Search Engine Watch also covered it. Schwartz says he “cannot replicate this”, and describes results without favicons as looking “much less graphical” and “naked”.
Status
These are tests seen by a few people, and Microsoft has not announced either change.
Our read
Small design tests often disappear. If the favicon test spreads, a recognisable favicon becomes less of a differentiator and titles and descriptions matter more. Until then, make sure yours is set correctly.
Sources
- Search Engine Roundtable: Bing testing local pack without borders (opens in a new tab)
Source of the local pack test.
- Search Engine Roundtable: Bing tests removing favicons from search result snippets (opens in a new tab)
Source of the favicon test and Schwartz's observation that he could not replicate it.