With a market share of 64 percent on mobile devices and 67 percent for desktop/laptop so far in 2019, Google Chrome is the most installed web browser used today. Here’s how you can make Chrome your device’s default browser.
In this guide, we will show you how to set Chrome as the default web browser on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Note: To set Chrome as your default browser, you must download and install it first. Windows and macOS can download it from Google’s website while iOS and Android use its respected app stores.
Make Google Chrome the Default Browser on Windows
Open up System settings by pressing Windows key+I, and then click on “Apps.”
From the pane on the left side, click “Default Apps.”
Locate the Web Browser section, click on your current default browser, and then scroll through the list and select “Google Chrome.”
Close Settings and that’s it. Chrome is now your default web browser.
Make Google Chrome the Default Browser on macOS
Fire up Chrome and click Chrome > Preferences from the menu bar or press Cmd+ to go to the settings menu directly.
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From the panel on the left side, click “Default Browser.”
Under the Default Browser section, click “Make Default.”
A dialog box will appear asking if you want to change your default web browser. Click “Use Chrome.”
If you don’t see the “Make default” button, then Chrome is already your default web browser.
Make Google Chrome the Default Browser on iPhone/iPad (Kind Of)
While you can’t override the default browser on iOS or iPadOS—without Jailbreaking—you can make it a lot easier to access Google Chrome by adding the app to your device’s app dock.
First, make room on the dock by removing an app to free up space. To do this, long-press and hold an app on the dock until the icon starts to jiggle and an “X” appears. Next, drag the app up, and release it onto the home screen.
Now, press and hold the Chrome app and then drag and release it onto the dock.
Tap on “Done” in the top-right corner to save your changes.
If this doesn’t quite do it for you, and you still don’t feel like Jailbreaking, you can use the built-in Shortcuts app to automate the link-opening process.
First, add the “Open in Chrome” Shortcut to your device. Once in the app, the Shortcut will be added to the phone or tablet’s Share Sheet.
The next time you open a link in Safari, tap the share button at the bottom of the browser. Scroll down in the Share Sheet and select “Open in Chrome.” The webpage’s URL will be copied to the clipboard and then pasted and opened in the Chrome app.
Make Google Chrome the Default Browser on Android
By default, most Android phones come with Google Chrome already pre-installed as the default web browser. However, some devices have custom ROMs that override browser defaults. You may need to install Google Chrome from the Play Store if it isn’t already installed.
Next, open the Android Settings app, scroll until you see “Apps,” and then tap on it.
Now, tap on “Default Apps.”
Scroll until you see the setting labeled “Browser” and then tap on it to choose your default browser.
From the list of browsers, select “Chrome.”
You can close the settings. The next time you tap a link, it will open inside of Chrome.
That’s all there is to it. Now, whenever you open a link from an external app, Chrome will be chosen as the default web browser for the job.