How to change the default browser in Windows 11

If you're amidst the lucky ones who successfully updated their PC to Windows 11, bully! We hope you're enjoying it. However, some things take changed from Windows x, like how to gear up a default browser. That's why we put together this handy guide.

Also, if some of this sounds familiar, that'due south considering when we wrote about default browser settings in Windows 11 back during the preview flow. Not much has changed, which is good news if you lot already learned how to change the default browser in Windows 11 and bad news if y'all'd adopt a simple process for setting defaults. Anyway, let'southward get into it.

To set a default browser in Windows xi, y'all need to open up Settings > Apps > Default apps. Unfortunately, this is where things go… weird.

Microsoft now requires Windows xi users selection the app that they want to brand default (in the case of a browser, you'd selection Chrome, Firefox, Brave or some other browser of your choice from the list of apps). In the next screen, users should see a listing of related file types (for example, '.html' files).

You'll need to get through this list and click on each file type, then select the app from the pop-upwardly. For example, click '.htm' and and then click Chrome, Firefox, etc. from the pop-up listing. In some cases, you may meet a 'Before you switch' pop-up that volition endeavour and encourage you to stick with Edge — you lot can click 'Switch anyway' to featherbed it.

Once that'southward done, you should be good to get. Information technology is worth noting, however, that some apps have built-in default switchers that tin can help users avoid doing this. Firefox Nightly, for example, let me click a button in Firefox's settings menu to change my default browser — I didn't have to open up the Windows xi settings bill of fare. While more than apps might do this in fourth dimension, for now, it's hitting-and-miss which apps volition support it.

Edge has considerable staying ability

Additionally, some apps might not switch over every file type, which could mean opening sure things will throw you back into Edge (or some other default) instead. Moreover, some parts of Windows 11 completely ignore the default browser setting.

In particular, the fancy new widget pane (accessible past clicking the bluish foursquare icon on the taskbar, not to exist dislocated with the Kickoff icon with 4 blue squares). Some items in the widgets pane will still open in Edge. The Verge points out that an app called 'EdgeDeflector' can help redirect links that volition always open in Edge to open up in the default browser instead.

You'll need to grab the latest version (1.2.iii.0), which supports Windows 11. Still, the app isn't perfect and some items might still open in Microsoft Edge. Perhaps that volition change in fourth dimension with time to come updates.