• To make Chrome the default browser on Windows 11, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps.
  • Select “Google Chrome” and click the Set default button.

On Windows 11, Microsoft Edge is the default browser experience to navigate the internet, open web links, and view PDF files. However, you can change it and make the system default to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Brave, Opera, or other browsers.

In the operating system’s original release, Microsoft was more aggressive in keeping you away from making another browser the system default. However, after many complaints, the company reverted the changes and introduced a new option in the “Default apps” settings page that makes it easier to ditch Microsoft Edge as your default browser.

When you use the option, the system makes the new browser 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.”

This guide 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:

  • Open Settings on Windows 11.
  • Click on Apps.
  • Click the Default apps page from the left side.
  • Select Google Chrome to make the new default browser on Windows 11.
  • Click the Set default button.
  • (Optional) Click the .pdf protocol and select the Switch anyway option to make your preferred browser the new default.
  • Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, Chrome or Firefox will become the new default browser. However, it won’t be the default for everything. Things like web results using Windows Search and links from the Widgets dashboard will continue to open with Microsoft Edge using Bing.

Open Settings on Windows 11.

Click on Apps.

Click the Default apps page from the left side.

Select Google Chrome to make the new default browser on Windows 11.

Click the Set default button.

(Optional) Click the .pdf protocol and select the Switch anyway option to make your preferred browser the new default.

Click the OK button.

Although this guide is specific to Chrome and Firefox users, the same instructions will work for any web browser, including 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.