How to Change Your Default Browser on Windows

When you click a link in an email or document, Windows opens it in your default browser. Out of the box, that default is Microsoft Edge. If you prefer to use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or another browser, you can change this setting so all links automatically open in your preferred browser.

First, make sure the browser you want to use is already installed on your computer. If you have not installed it yet, open Edge, go to the browser's website (like google.com/chrome or mozilla.org/firefox), download the installer, and run it.

To change your default browser, open Settings by clicking the Start button and then the gear icon. Click "Apps" in the left sidebar, then click "Default apps." In the search bar at the top of the Default Apps page, type the name of the browser you want to use as your default — for example, "Chrome" or "Firefox."

Click on the browser name when it appears in the search results. You will see a list of file types and link types that this browser can handle. At the top, there should be a "Set default" button — click it. This tells Windows to use this browser for opening web links, HTML files, and other web-related content.

On Windows 11, you may need to change individual file types one by one. Click on each file type (like .htm, .html, .pdf) and select your preferred browser from the list. For the most important setting, make sure "HTTPS" and "HTTP" links are set to your chosen browser — these control what happens when you click web links.

After making these changes, test by clicking a link in an email or document. It should now open in your preferred browser instead of Edge. If any links still open in Edge, go back to Default Apps and make sure all the link types are set correctly.

Some browsers will ask you to set them as the default the first time you open them. You can use that prompt to go directly to the settings page, which saves a few steps.