The Information reported on Tuesday that Microsoft Corp recently considered building a super app that could include shopping, messaging, news and web search services, among others.
According to the report, Windows-maker mulled building the app to loosen the hold of Alphabet Inc's Google and Apple Inc on the mobile search space.
Microsoft executives wanted the app to boost the company's multibillion-dollar advertising business and Bing search, as well as draw more users to Teams messaging and other mobile services, according to The Information.
A super app, popular in Asia by Tencent Holdings' WeChat and South East Asia's Grab Holdings, has been described as the Swiss army knife of mobile apps, offering a suite of services for users such as messaging, social networking, peer-to- peer payments and e-commerce shopping.
Elon Musk, who owns Twitter, has shown interest in creating a super app named X that would combine a multitude of services.
The report said that it isn't clear whether the company would launch such an app, but Chief Executive Satya Nadella has pushed for the Bing search service to perform better with Teams and Outlook.