When you purchase a new Mac, Apple configures macOS to use Safari as the default web browser. This means that whenever you click a web link in an email, a text message, or a document, your Mac will automatically launch Safari to open the page. If you prefer to use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or the privacy-focused Brave browser, having Safari constantly interrupt your workflow is incredibly frustrating.
Fortunately, you can stop this behavior and instruct your Mac to automatically route all web links to the browser of your choice.
How to Change Your Default Web Browser on Mac
Before you begin, make sure you have already downloaded and installed your preferred web browser from the internet.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions of macOS).
- In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Desktop & Dock. (If you are using an older version of macOS, simply click on General).
- Scroll down the right side of the window until you find a dropdown menu labeled Default web browser.
- Click the dropdown menu. You will see a list of all the web browsers currently installed on your Mac.
- Select your preferred browser (e.g., Google Chrome or Firefox).
How to Change the Default Email Client
While you are fixing your browser settings, you might also want to stop the Apple Mail app from automatically launching whenever you click an email address link (a “mailto:” link) on a website.
- Open the Apple Mail app (you must open the app to change this system setting).
- Click on Mail in the top menu bar, then select Settings.
- On the General tab, look for the dropdown menu labeled Default email reader.
- Click the menu and change it to your preferred app (like Microsoft Outlook) or select your web browser if you prefer to use webmail like Gmail.