- To make Chrome the default browser on Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Default apps, select “Google Chrome,” and click on “Set default.”
UPDATED 7/15/2024: On Windows 11, Microsoft Edge is the default browser for navigating the internet, opening web links, and viewing PDF files. However, you can change it and make the system default to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Brave, Opera, or any other browser.
In the operating system’s original release, Microsoft aggressively prevented users from making another browser the default. However, after many complaints, the company reversed the changes and rolled out a new option in the “Default apps” settings page, making it easier to ditch Microsoft Edge as the default browser.
When you use the option, the system makes the new browser (such as Chrome) the default for “.htm,” “.html,” “HTTP,” and “HTTPS,” which are the primary protocols to access the web. However, it’s not perfect since Microsoft Edge will continue to be the default for other protocols, including “.pdf,” “.svg,” “.xhtml,” and “FTP.”
In this guide, I will teach you the steps to change the default browser on Windows 11.
Change default browser on Windows 11 to Chrome
To make Google Chrome the default browser on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on Apps.
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Click the Default apps page from the left side.
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Select Google Chrome to make the new default browser on Windows 11.
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Click the Set default button.
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(Optional) Click the “.pdf” protocol and select the Set default button to make your preferred browser the new default.
Once you complete the steps, Google Chrome will become the new default on Windows 11. However, it won’t be the default for everything since web results using Windows Search and Widgets dashboard (and Outlook) links will continue to open with Microsoft Edge using Bing. In the case of Outlook, you can change the settings to force the email client to open links with your default browser.
Also, when you click the “Set default” button, the system will only change the browser for specific web files. As a result, you will have to manually set the new browser as the default for other files, such as .pdf, .svg, .webp, etc.
Although this guide is specific to Chrome, the same instructions will work for any web browser, including Firefox, Opera, Safari, Brave, etc.
If you install Firefox outside the Microsoft Store, the app will prompt you to make it the new default. When you click the button to switch, the action will set Firefox as the new default for “.HTM,” “.HTML,” “HTTP,” and “HTTPS” file types. However, if you install the browser from the Microsoft Store, you won’t get the option.
Update July 15, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].