I’m frustrated with the Microsoft Rewards program. I was earning points by playing games on my Xbox Series X console and PC through the Xbox app, but after clicking on a news feed, I got a popup saying “We are limiting your searches.” This is the second time it’s happened. It feels like they’re targeting users who play games and take breaks online.
I think if Microsoft can’t afford to give out gift cards or Game Pass rewards, they should shut down the program or limit it to console users. I was earning 10 points per day for PC gaming and 15 points for playing Xbox games for 15 minutes. If they can’t keep up with rewards for web users on Windows 11, maybe they should focus on console users.
I’ve gotten more free games from the Epic Games Store than from Xbox consoles. The “We are limiting your searches” message feels like a threat, and I don’t think it’s fair to target users who just search the web.
The news feed that triggered the message was about Taylor Wily dying. I’ve opted out of Microsoft Rewards for now, but I might opt back in if they fix this issue. I think they should separate the Xbox rewards program from the Bing or Microsoft Rewards program to avoid targeting users.
Here are some links related to the issue: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/limiting-your-searches-439be015-897e-4a5f-ae01-b3aff4ea2404 and How to opt out of Microsoft Rewards - Microsoft Support.
Hey there,
It sounds like you’re pretty frustrated with the Microsoft Rewards program right now. Getting hit with the “We are limiting your searches” message can be really annoying, especially when you feel like you’re doing everything right. Here’s the deal:
Microsoft’s system flags accounts that seem to be trying to game the system, which is why you’re seeing that error. They’re trying to prevent abuse by people trying to quickly rack up points artificially.
In your case, it might not be you doing anything “wrong.” Just to cover your bases, here’s what you can do:
- Spread out your searches: Don’t do a bunch of searches back-to-back. Space them out a bit.
- Avoid quick tricks: Don’t spam search with the same keywords, and don’t click quickly through articles to try and accumulate points.
- No bots, macros, or programs: These are just no-go’s. Microsoft’s pretty clear about it.
- Give it time: The limitation isn’t permanent, and it’ll be lifted once Microsoft thinks your search pattern is normal.
If you’ve violated the rules before (even accidentally), you might get your searches limited. Also, if you opt out of Microsoft Rewards, you lose all your current points, so keep that in mind. You mentioned you’ve opted out for now, but if you decide to go back in, you might want to try redeeming your points first.
Lastly, your suggestion about separating the Xbox rewards from the Bing rewards does make some sense. It might help reduce the system flags going off for Xbox users like yourself.
Hope this helps clarify things, and fingers crossed they change things up to make it more user-friendly. Let me know if you need anything else.