Open Settings › Apps › Default apps, choose the role—such as browser, phone or SMS—and select an eligible installed app. Menu names vary by manufacturer, but clearing all app data is not required. Set the browser, phone and messages roles one at a time.
What this covers
- Supported Android devices with standard Default apps controls
What it does not cover
- ×Work profiles or manufacturer roles locked by an administrator
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedInstall and open the replacement app
ReversibleComplete the app’s first-run setup so Android can offer it for an eligible default role.
Open Default apps
ReversibleGo to Settings › Apps › Default apps. On some devices, use Settings search for “default apps.”
Choose the role and app
ReversibleSelect Browser app, Phone app, SMS app or another available role, then choose the installed app.
Test the associated action
ReversibleOpen a link, phone number or message action from another app and confirm Android uses the selected default.
Open Settings, Apps, then Choose default apps
ReversibleOn a Galaxy phone the list of default-app categories, such as browser and SMS, sits under Choose default apps in the Apps section.
Pick the category and then the app
ReversibleChoose Browser app for web links or SMS app for text messages, and select the installed app you want.
Test the change with a real link or message
ReversibleOpen a web link or send a text from another app. If the new app opens, the default has taken effect.
Confirm the choice survives a restart
ReversibleRestart the phone and open the Choose default apps list again to see that the new app is still selected for that task; if it has reverted to the old app, repeat the change.
Samsung Galaxy
How the Samsung Galaxy version of the setting is laid out
This page covers the Samsung Galaxy path; the Pixel version is on the companion page.
- Path
- Settings, Apps, Choose default apps, then pick the category and the app.
- Categories
- Samsung's guide names a browser to open web links and a messaging app to handle texts as examples; the categories offered depend on the apps installed.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If an app does not appear as a choice, open it once and check for updates, because only eligible installed apps are offered for a role.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions about “How to change default apps on Android”
Which apps can I set as a default on a Galaxy phone?+
Samsung's guide gives examples such as the browser that opens web links and the messaging app that handles texts, and the categories offered depend on what is installed.
Will changing a default delete the old app?+
No. Changing the default only decides which app opens for that task; the old app stays installed.
Do the menu names differ between phone makers?+
Yes. Samsung's guide uses Settings, Apps, Choose default apps, while Google-style Android uses a Default apps entry, so follow your maker's wording.
Can I set separate defaults for calls and messages?+
Yes. Roles such as phone app and SMS app are separate.
What if my preferred app is missing?+
It may not support that role. Install a compatible app or check its own settings.
Do defaults reset after updates?+
Occasionally. Recheck after major system updates.
Where are the default apps on Android?+
Usually in Settings under Apps and then Default apps, though the exact path varies with the phone maker and Android version. There you can choose the browser, phone, messages and other defaults.
Does changing the default browser affect my bookmarks?+
No. Bookmarks stay inside each browser and usually sync through that browser's own account, so changing the default only changes which browser opens links.
How do I reset all default apps on Android?+
In Settings, open Apps, choose the option to reset app preferences and confirm. It clears default choices and disabled apps' permissions without deleting app data, and Android will ask again the next time you open a link or file, which lets you choose from scratch.