How to change the default browser and other default apps on an iPhone

What changed: the screenshots are now our own iPhone 17e on iOS 27.0.1, dark mode, and the wording is checked against those screens.

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-change-the-default-browser-and-other-default-apps-on-an-iphone/ · Checked October 2026 · iPhone 17e · iOS 27.0.1

4 of 4 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device

iPhone

Shown on

iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 17e)

App

Settings

Path

Settings › Apps › Default Apps › Browser App

Real screenshots

4 of 4 steps

What we did

Performed: we made the change on our device and show the result

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open Settings and tap Apps

   Apps is near the bottom of the main Settings list.

   Done

2. 

   Tap Default Apps

   It is the first entry, above the alphabetical list of your apps.

   Done

3. 

   Tap the feature you want to change

   For the browser, tap Browser App. The other rows work the same way. Ours was set to Safari. Calling showed 2: Apple explains that some features let you put several apps in order of priority.

   Done

4. 

   Choose the app

   Tap the app in the list. A tick shows the new default. Some choices ask you to confirm on screen. Ours offered Chrome and Safari. After we tapped Chrome, the note below read: "Chrome will be used to open links and browse the web. If you have multiple browser apps, you can change the default."

   Done

What changed: the screenshots are now our own iPhone 17e on iOS 27.0.1, dark mode, and the wording is checked against those screens.

If this does not work

• The app you want is not offered. Update it in the App Store first. If it is still not listed, Apple says to contact the app developer. Source: Change your default apps for features on iPhone and iPad
• You picked a browser during setup. In the European Union and Japan, the iPhone may show a browser choice screen. You can change that choice later on this same page. Source: Change your default apps for features on iPhone and iPad

About this guide

Links open in Safari and addresses open in Apple Maps until you choose something else. An iPhone lets you replace several of these standard apps. The other app must be installed first: download it from the App Store and open it once.

The screenshots are our own, taken on an iPhone 17e running iOS 27.0.1, in dark mode.

Good to know

Apple lists these features: Browser App, Email, Calling, Call Filtering, Messaging, Keyboards, Navigation, Passwords & Codes, Translation, Contactless Apps and App Installation.

Not every row appears on every phone. Navigation, Contactless Apps and App Installation depend on your country. App Installation, for other app marketplaces, exists in the European Union and Japan.

A row only offers apps that are installed and support the feature. If your app is missing from the list, update it in the App Store.

To test a new browser, tap a link in an email or a message. It opens in the browser you chose.

If the Default Apps entry is missing, update the iPhone to the latest iOS version.

The same on a computer: how to change the default browser on a Mac.

In short: Settings, Apps, Default Apps, Browser App, choose the app.