How to Change the Default Web Browser on Windows, Mac, IPhone and Android
The default browser isn’t always the best option: Microsoft might really want you to use Edge, but you’ll probably get better performance from Chrome or Firefox. On the Mac, Safari is quite limited, but it’s still the default – instead , a new browser like Arc is a much better option. The same goes for your smartphones and tablets.
How to change the default browser in Windows 11
Microsoft Edge is the default browser for Windows 11 , but there’s an easy way to change this: install the browser of your choice, then go to Start > Settings > Apps > Default Apps . Find and select the browser you want to use and select Set as Default .
This will change the default browser for most popular web formats such as HTM, HTML, HTTP and HTTPS. If you want to switch completely, scroll down to find extensions such as SHTML, XHT, XHTML and FTP, and in each section, click on your current browser and then switch to the browser you want. The process is similar for Windows 10.
How to change your default browser on macOS
Click the Apple menu in the top toolbar and select System Preferences . From the sidebar, select Desktop and Dock and select a new browser under Default Web Browser .
If you haven’t updated to macOS Ventura or later, this option will be in a different location. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences > General > Default Web Browser .
How to Change the Default Browser on iPhone or iPad
For a long time, it was not possible to change the default browser on iPhone and iPad; This has changed starting with iOS 14. You can now switch to any browser from the App Store.
However, third-party browsers are still limited in their capabilities as they can only use Apple’s WebKit engine. The situation changes with the iOS 17.4 update, but only for EU countries. With the iOS 17.4 update, EU users will receive a prompt when they start using Safari asking if they want to change the default browser. Apple will provide a list of 12 popular browsers to choose from.
Even if you are outside the EU, you can change your default browser at any time. Open the Settings app and select the downloaded browser. Select “Default Browser Application” and switch to your preferred browser.
How to change default browser on Android
Unlike the iPhone, all Android phones have different settings and menus depending on the manufacturer. Some phones may also have different default browsers, especially Samsung phones. However, every Android smartphone has a menu to change the default browser, so it’s easy to make Google Chrome the default browser on a Samsung Galaxy phone or switch to Firefox on a Pixel.
Third-party browsers themselves make this process easier by asking if you want to set a default browser when you first start using it. But you can do this at any time or return to the standard browser using the Settings app.
Open the Settings app on your Android smartphone and use the search function to find “ default apps”. » Select the Browser option, then switch to the browser you want.