2021-07-01T17:34:59Z

• You can change the default browser on Mac in System Preferences or your browser's settings page. 
• Macs set Safari as the default browser, but you can change it to any other browser, like Chrome. 
• When you change your default browser, any links you click will open in your preferred browser. 

Mac computers come with Apple's Safari web browser pre-set as the default browser. This means that Safari will open automatically when you click certain links, even if you don't want it to. 

While Safari is a fast web browser and works well for most web needs, there are drawbacks to using it. One of these drawbacks is that for some websites, other browsers can be faster — for example, Google Apps work better in Google's own browser, Chrome. Other websites might not work with Safari at all. 

You can change your Mac's default web browser through System Preferences or through the browser itself — here's how to do both. 

How to change the default browser on Mac from System Preferences 

1. Open System Preferences by clicking the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen and selecting System Preferences in the drop-down.

Select "System Preferences" to open it. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

2. In System Preferences, click General in the top-left corner.

Go to "General" in System Preferences. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. On the General page, click the drop-down next to Default Web Browser.

Click the drop-down next to "Default web browser." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. All web browsers downloaded on your computer will appear in the drop-down list. Choose one to set it as your default. Now, whenever you click on a link to open it, it will automatically appear in your chosen browser. 

How to change your default browser on Mac from the browser's settings 

There are dozens of different web browsers you could be using, and the exact method for setting them as your default browser is slightly different for each. Here, we'll use Google Chrome as an example.

1. Open Chrome.

2. In the toolbar at the very top of your screen, click Chrome and select Preferences in the drop-down. 

Under "Chrome," select "Preferences." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. Scroll down to the Default browser section and click Make default.

Click "Make default." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. A window will pop up asking if you want to Keep [browser] as your default or Use Chrome. Choose Use Chrome.

Click "Use 'Chrome.'" Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

Ryan Ariano Ryan Ariano grew up in Baltimore when the Macintosh was cutting edge, lived in Los Angeles as Blackberries gave way to iPhones, and now lives in Jackson Hole where his life is held together by Bluetooth. He writes on a wide range of topics but especially loves nerding out across the tech spectrum. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Read more Read less

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