Another thing to keep in mind is that most browsers will ask you, often repeatedly on each launch, if you want to set them as the default for the web. This process is identical and works for setting the default to Chrome, Firefox, Chromium, Opera, Safari, and just about any other native browser in Mac OS X. Yes, you use Safari to change the default browser, even if you have no intention on using Safari as the default and instead want to switch the default to Chrome, Firefox, or whatever else. Here’s what the setting looks like in older versions of Mac OS X: This is what the Preference for default web browser selection looks like on all modern versions of the Mac, just pull down that menu to choose your browser to set as the default:

Choose the default web browser you would prefer to use.

Pull down the ‘Safari’ menu and choose to open ‘Preferences’ (or just hit command-,).

Open Safari (yes, open Safari even if you want to use another app as your default browser).

This is true for OS X Mavericks 10.9, Mountain Lion 10.8, Lion, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, and earlier. How to Change the Default Web Browser in Mac OS XĬhanging the default web browser in prior versions of Mac OS X is also very easy, but regardless of what browser you want to use as default, you adjust the setting through Apple’s web browser, Safari. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc, will all show up here)

Click the menu next to “Default web browser” and set your choice from the list (note that you must have at least one other third party web browser downloaded in order to see more than a single option in this list.Open the  Apple menu and choose ‘System Preferences’, then go to ‘General’.Changing the Default Web Browser in MacOS Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite or LaterĪpple moved the default web browser setting in macOS Monterey 12, macOS Big Sur 11, macOS Catalina 10.15, macOS Mojave 10.14, macOS High Sierra 10.13, MacOS Sierra 10.12, El Capitan 10.11, or OS X Yosemite 10.10 onward to the System Preferences:

Don’t worry Sarah (and everyone else!), this isn’t the first time we’ve been asked about changing the default web browser on the Mac, so allow us to explain the remarkably simple answer – you’ll be changed back to whatever web browser you want in no time at all, whether it’s Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or any other.ĭo note that making this change will impact all links opened throughout apps in Mac OS, as all will be redirected to whatever browsing app is set as the default.

Firefox os x 10.6.8