Change your default browser in Windows (2024)

FAQs

Change your default browser in Windows? ›

Select Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps.

In Windows 10, click Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps, then click Web browser and choose your preferred browser. In Windows 11, click Start > Settings > Apps > Default Apps and select your preferred browser before clicking the Set default button.

Go to File > Options > Advanced > In File and Browser Preferences section, click the drop-down menu and select default browser instead of Microsoft Edge. Sources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/quest...

By changing it, any link or web-based file you select will open in your browser of choice. Here's how to make the switch for each type of operating system and platform.

Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Set defaults by app > Click on Chrome or Edge > Manage > Choose the browser to open the file type with. Please let me know if you need further assistance and keep me updated.

On the General tab, under Home page, enter the URL of the site you want to set as a homepage. You can add more than one URL. Or, to add the site you're currently viewing, select Use current. If you add more than one URL, put each URL on its own line.

In the menu bar on the top of your browser, click Tools. Select Internet Options. Click the General tab. Under "Home page," enter: www.google.com .

For context, here is Microsoft's answer: “Microsoft Edge is the web browser recommended by Microsoft and is the default web browser for Windows. Because Windows supports applications that rely on the web platform, our default web browser is an essential component of our operating system and can't be uninstalled.”

In Windows 11, after you've installed an alternate browser, click the Start button and then click the Settings icon in the Pinned area. In Settings, select Apps > Default apps, then scroll to the browser you want to make your default — for example, Google Chrome.

By disabling Microsoft Edge, it won't open when you turn on your computer. This saves time and prevents unwanted interruptions. It's important to note that disabling Edge doesn't uninstall it. It simply stops it from launching on its own.

Will resetting my browser delete everything? ›

Keep in mind that resetting your browser will remove all of your settings (for example, saved passwords, history, your home page, and saved website-handling information). Your Favorites may not be deleted.

A default browser is the one that your operating system uses when you do not specifically select a different browser. Unless you have changed it, it will be the browser that came with your operating system.

Open the Start menu and type Default apps. Then, select Default apps. In the Default apps menu, scroll down until you see your current default web browser, and click it. In this example, Microsoft Edge is the current default browser.

Open Microsoft Edge and navigate to the ellipses (…) to open Settings and more. Select Settings > Systems and performance. Scroll to Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed to toggle it off. Now, when the browser is closed, it won't be running in the background.

Scroll down to “Web browsers” on the right-hand side, click on “Microsoft Edge” and then click on the web program of your choice in the following list of installed browsers. In Windows 11, also open Settings, go to Apps > Default apps and click on “Firefox” or “Google Chrome,” depending on your preference.

A: It is likely that while you've specified Chrome as your default web browser, Microsoft Edge is still specified as the default program to open certain types of files and links. To fix that, open the Control Panel and launch Default Programs. Scroll down to Chrome and click on it.