How To Set Google Chrome As Default Browser

Google Chrome is the most-used Internet browser, with a market share of over 62%, three times that of its nearer competitor, Safari. People love Chrome due to its ease of use, security, and friendly interface.

Every major OS comes with a default browser. Unfortunately, despite being so well-liked, Google Chrome is not the default browser on most operating systems.

Most people end up downloading Google Chrome as a secondary browser. However, your operating system’s preinstalled browser will remain your default browser unless you change it.

Today, I’ll be showing you how to make Google Chrome your default browser on different operating systems.

What Is the Default Browser on Your Device?

Do you know what your default browser is? Unless you made any changes to your settings, your default browser is as follows:

  • Windows: Windows computers generally come with Microsoft Edge as the default browser. That’s unless you have an older version of Windows, such as Windows 7 – in that case, the default browser will be Internet Explorer, which is no longer supported.
  • Mac: On a Mac, the default browser is Safari. Safari is the second most popular browser by market share.
  • iOS: On iPhones and iPads, Safari is the default browser as well.
  • Android: If you have an Android, rejoice – your default browser is most likely already Chrome. However, some Android phones may have other default browsers, as it depends on the manufacturer. For example, some Samsung phones may open everything in the Samsung Internet Browser instead of Chrome. Some Androids, especially older ones, might have an app that’s just called “Browser” preinstalled and set as the default.
  • Linux: Many Linux distributions have Firefox as the default browser.

Why Change the Default Browser to Chrome?

Chrome has many benefits. It’s not only incredibly easy to use, but it also has a wide range of extensions that you can add for increased functionality.

Furthermore, it has other useful features, such as the ability to sync your bookmarks between different devices by signing in to your Google account (Google owns Chrome).

Chrome isn’t open source, but it is safe to use and relatively fast. I personally find it faster and easier to use than Firefox, although everyone will have their own preferences.

If you don’t change your default browser to Chrome, web links from apps will usually open in your default browser. If you are used to using Chrome and you just switched to an iPhone from an Android, for example, that can get confusing and frustrating.

If your phone doesn’t have any browser set as the default, it might ask you which browser to use every time you try to open a link or file. You may have to manually select Chrome each time, which can get frustrating (although you may be able to select “Every Time” instead of “This Time” to always use Chrome for that action).

Fortunately, switching your default browser to Chrome is relatively easy, and it won’t take more than a couple of minutes, regardless of your OS.

Also Read: Best Google Chrome Alternatives

How to Change the Default Browser to Chrome on Different Operating Systems (Desktop & Mobile)

The first thing to note is that if you haven’t yet downloaded Chrome, do that first. You can download Chrome by visiting Google.com/Chrome and clicking on the Download Now button.

Only download Chrome from the official site.

When you first download and set up Chrome, it may ask if you want to change it to your default browser, which will make the entire process a lot easier.

However, if you already downloaded Chrome a while ago, you’ll need to go to your settings to set it as your default browser. Let’s talk about that.

Windows

The process for changing your default browser to Chrome varies slightly based on which version of Windows you have.

Windows 11 made it a bit harder to change your default browser. Here is how to change your browser to Chrome on a Windows 11:

  1. Click on Settings in the Start menu.
  2. Find the Apps tab.
  3. Click on Default Apps.
  4. Select Google Chrome (it must be installed).
  5. Now, select Google Chrome as the default browser for each file type (HTTPS, HTTP, HTML, etc.).

You have to change the default browser to Google Chrome for each file type individually.

Here is how to set the default browser to Google Chrome on Windows 10:

  1. Open the start menu.
  2. Search for Default Apps, or find it under System.
  3. Click on Web Browser.
  4. Tap on your current default browser (which will be Edge unless you changed it).
  5. Select Google Chrome (it must be installed).

Here is how to set the default browser to Google Chrome on Windows 8 or an earlier version:

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Find and open your Control Panel.
  3. Tap on Programs.
  4. Click on Default Programs.
  5. Click on Set Your Default Programs.
  6. Tap on Google Chrome (it must be installed).
  7. Set it as the default.
  8. Save your settings.

Also Read: Where Is Browser On A Computer?

Mac

Fortunately, changing your default browser to Chrome on macOS is super easy. There are two ways to do it, but let’s go through the easy method first:

  1. Open the Chrome Browser.
  2. Open the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
  3. Tap on Default Browser.
  4. Set Chrome as your Default Browser.

See the screenshot above for more details. I already set Google Chrome as my default browser on my Mac, which is why it says, “Google Chrome is your default browser.”

You can also do it directly from your Mac’s system settings. Here’s how to do that:

  1. Open up the System Preferences (find it by tapping on the Apple icon in the top-left corner).
  2. Open your General Settings.
  3. Find the Default Web Browser section.
  4. Select Google Chrome as your default browser (it must be installed).

Explore: Best Browsers For iPad

Android

Most Android phones already come with Google Chrome preinstalled. However, it does depend on the manufacturer – some manufacturers have their own browsers and use them as their default browsers.

Here’s how to change your default app settings on Android:

  1. Open your Settings app from your list of apps or by pulling down the top menu and clicking on the settings icon.
  2. Click on Apps (it may also appear as App Management or Apps & Notifications).
  3. Click on Default Apps. You may have to tap on Advanced to find this option.
  4. Click on the Browser App and select Chrome.

iOS

Your iOS phone or tablet will come with Safari as the default browser, but changing it to Chrome is simple. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open the Settings app (search for it if you can’t find it).
  2. Scroll down until you find the Chrome app (apps will be listed in alphabetical order, so Chrome should be towards the top of the list).
  3. Click on Default Browser App.
  4. Select Chrome.

Check Out: How To Add Safari Back To The Home Screen of iPhone?

Linux

There are many types of Linux distributions, and the exact process for changing the default browser may vary slightly from one to another. I’m going to focus on Ubuntu here, as it is a popular Linux distribution that a lot of people use.

Here is how to change the default browser to Chrome on Ubuntu:

  1. Click on the settings icon in the top corner and click on System Settings.
  2. Click on Details.
  3. Select Default Applications.
  4. Find “Web,” and switch from Firefox to Google Chrome.

Also Read: Best Browsers For Old iPad

Wrapping It Up

Switching your default browser to Chrome is simple, as you can see.

Furthermore, you can always uninstall Chrome or switch the default browser back to Safari, Firefox, or any other browser that comes installed or which you downloaded.

Tom Clayton

Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.

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