How to Set a Default Browser on PC or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to change which web browser opens websites by default on a Windows or macOS computer.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
macOS

  1. Image titled Set a Default Browser on PC or Mac Step 1
    1
    Click the
    Image titled Macapple1.png
    menu.     It’s at the top-left corner of the screen.
    • The default web browser on your Mac is Safari, but you can install an alternative such as Firefox or Chrome.
  2. Image titled Set a Default Browser on PC or Mac Step 2
    2
    Click System Preferences….
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    3
    Click General. It’s the first icon in the window.
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    4
    Click the “Default web browser” drop-down menu. It’s about halfway down the screen. A list of installed web browsers will appear.
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    5
    Click the browser you want to use. The selected browser is now set to launch when you click a link in an email or other application.[1]

Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Windows

  1. Image titled Set a Default Browser on PC or Mac Step 6
    1
    Open the Windows search bar. If you don’t see it at the bottom-left corner of the screen, press ⊞ Win+S to open it now.
    • The default web browser on your PC is Microsoft Edge, but you can install alternatives such as Firefox or Chrome.
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    2
    Type default. A list of matching results will appear.
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    3
    Click Default app settings. It should be the first match. This opens the Default Apps window.
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    4
    Click the icon beneath “Web browser.” The icon is the one that represents your current default web browser.
    • For example, if your default browser is Microsoft Edge, click the Edge icon (a blue and white “e”).
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    5
    Click the browser you want to use as the default. The selected app is now the default browser on your PC. Clicking links in email messages or other apps will open this browser immediately.

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References

  1. ↑ http://www.mactrast.com/2017/04/change-default-browser-macos/

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
Tech Specialist
This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 5,512 times.
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Co-authors: 1
Updated: March 29, 2019
Views: 5,512
Categories: Internet Browsers