Where to change your default browser
Your Mac's default browser is the one that opens when you click a link in email, Messages, or another app. To change it, open System Settings (called System Preferences on older Macs), then go to General in the left sidebar. Scroll down until you see Default web browser — it will show your current browser in a dropdown menu. Click the dropdown and select the browser you want instead.
That is the entire process. The change takes effect when ready. Any link you click outside a web browser will now open in your new default browser instead.
If you do not see the Default web browser option, your Mac is running an older version of macOS. Scroll down further in the General settings — on some older versions it appears lower on the page, or you may need to check under a different section like Internet & Wireless.
Key Takeaways
- Open System Settings, go to General, scroll to Default web browser, and select your preferred browser from the dropdown menu.
- The browser you choose must already be installed on your Mac — you cannot set a browser as default if it is not there.
- Your default browser only controls what opens when you click links outside of web browsers; it does not affect which browser you use when you manually open one.
- If you change your mind later, you can return to the same settings and switch back at any time.
What browsers are available to set as default
You can set any browser as your default as long as it is installed on your Mac. The most common choices are Safari (which comes with every Mac), Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. When you open System Settings and click the dropdown menu, you will see only the browsers that are actually on your computer — if a browser does not appear in the list, it is not installed yet.
If you want to use a browser that is not installed, read it first from the browser's official website or the Mac App Store, then return to System Settings. The newly installed browser will appear in the dropdown menu and you can select it.
Why your default browser matters
Setting a default browser controls which app opens when you click a link in Mail, Messages, Slack, or any other non-browser app. Without a default set, your Mac will either open Safari (the built-in choice) or ask you which browser to use each time. If you prefer a different browser, setting it as default saves you the step of manually opening it.
Your default browser does not affect which browser opens when you manually click the browser icon in your Dock or Applications folder. If you open Chrome by clicking its icon, Chrome opens — your default setting does not override that choice. The default only matters for links clicked from outside a browser.
Changing your default browser back to Safari
If you want to return to Safari as your default, follow the same steps: open System Settings, go to General, find Default web browser, click the dropdown, and select Safari. Safari is always in the list because it is built into every Mac.
You might want to switch back to Safari if you are troubleshooting a problem with another browser, or if you decide you prefer Safari's integration with other Apple apps like iCloud and Keychain. The change is when ready and you can switch back and forth as often as you want.
Troubleshooting when the setting does not stick
Occasionally a browser will not stay set as default after you select it. This usually happens if the browser is not fully installed or if there is a conflict with how the browser is configured. The quickest fix is to close the browser completely, return to System Settings, and select it again.
If the problem continues, try restarting your Mac. Some browsers need a restart to recognize the default browser change. If that does not work, uninstall the browser (drag it to Trash from Applications, then empty Trash), restart your Mac, and reinstall it fresh from the official website or App Store.
Setting a default browser on different macOS versions
On newer Macs running macOS Monterey or later, the process described above works exactly as written. On older versions like Big Sur or Catalina, the location may be slightly different — you might find it under General in System Preferences, or it may be labeled slightly differently, but the concept is the same.
If you are using a very old Mac running an earlier version of macOS, the default browser setting may not exist at all. In that case, Safari will always be your default and you cannot change it through settings. You would need to upgrade macOS to gain this ability, though most Macs from the last five years support the default browser setting.
What happens to your old default browser
Changing your default browser does not uninstall or remove the old one. If Safari was your default and you switch to Chrome, Safari remains on your Mac and works exactly as before — it just stops being the browser that opens automatically when you click links. You can still open Safari manually whenever you want, and all your bookmarks and settings stay intact.
You can have multiple browsers installed at the same time. Many people keep Safari, Chrome, and Firefox all on their Mac and switch between them depending on what they are doing. The default setting only determines which one opens when a link is clicked from outside a browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my default browser affect my bookmarks or passwords?
No. Your bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history stay in whichever browser you saved them in. If you switch your default from Safari to Chrome, your Safari bookmarks remain in Safari. Each browser keeps its own separate data. You would need to manually import bookmarks if you want them in a different browser.
Can I set different default browsers for different types of links?
No. macOS allows only one default browser at a time. All links from non-browser apps will open in whichever browser you set as default. You cannot make email links open in one browser and Messages links open in another.
What if a website tells me I need to use a specific browser?
You can still use any browser you want by opening it manually. The default browser setting only controls what opens automatically when you click a link. If a website works better in Chrome, you can open Chrome yourself and visit the site, regardless of what your default is set to.
Does my default browser choice affect which browser my family members use?
Only if they use the same user account on the Mac. Each user account on a Mac has its own settings, so you can set a different default browser for each person who logs in. If your Mac has separate accounts for you and another family member, you each control your own default browser independently.
Can I change my default browser from within the browser itself?
Some browsers offer a button or option to set themselves as default, which opens System Settings for you. This is just a shortcut to the same process — it still takes you to System Settings and you still select from the dropdown. Using the browser's button is faster than navigating System Settings manually, but the end result is identical.