Open System Settings › Desktop & Dock, scroll to Default web browser, and choose an installed browser. On older macOS releases, the control may appear in General instead. The change applies to links opened from other apps, Mail and Messages, so open one afterwards to confirm it goes to the browser you picked.
What this covers
- Supported macOS releases with an eligible browser installed
What it does not cover
- ×In-app web views that intentionally open inside their host app
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedInstall and open the browser
ReversibleOpen the browser once and complete any first-run prompt so macOS can list it.
Open Desktop & Dock settings
ReversibleChoose Apple menu › System Settings › Desktop & Dock and scroll through the options.
Choose Default web browser
ReversibleSelect the installed browser from the Default web browser menu. On older macOS, check General settings.
Test a link from another app
ReversibleOpen a web link from Mail, Notes or Messages and confirm it opens in the selected browser.
Install the other browser before you open the setting
ReversibleApple lists installing the browser as the first requirement, since it must be on the Mac to appear in the menu.
Use the Default web browser menu under Desktop & Dock
ReversibleOpen System Settings, click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar, scroll down on the right and choose the browser from the menu.
macOS
Where the default browser is set on a Mac
It sits under Desktop & Dock, not under a browser or general setting.
- Path (macOS Ventura and later)
- Apple menu, System Settings, Desktop & Dock in the sidebar, then scroll and choose a browser from the 'Default web browser' menu.
- What changes
- Apple says the default web browser is Safari, and it is the app that opens when you click a web link, so the setting decides which browser opens those links.
- Precondition
- Install the browser you want to use as the new default first.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the Default web browser menu does not list the browser, quit and reinstall that browser from its maker before changing anything else on the Mac.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions about “How to change the default web browser on Mac”
Why is the option missing from my browser's own settings?+
On macOS the setting is in System Settings under Desktop & Dock, not in the browser, and it applies to every link opened on the Mac.
Does it remove Safari?+
No. Apple's instruction only changes which browser opens when you click a web link.
Do I need to restart the Mac after changing it?+
Apple's instructions list no restart. Choose the browser from the Default web browser menu in Desktop & Dock and links opened afterwards use it.
Which macOS versions use this path?+
Apple's instruction (System Settings, Desktop & Dock, Default web browser) is for macOS Ventura and later, where the settings app is called System Settings.
Will links in every app follow the new default?+
Apple says the default browser is the app that opens when you click a web link, so links clicked in other apps open in the browser you choose.
Will changing the browser affect bookmarks?+
No. Bookmarks stay in each browser.
Why does a link still open elsewhere?+
Some apps have their own setting for opening links.
Can I change it back?+
Yes. Choose the earlier browser in the same list.
Where is the default browser setting on a Mac?+
In System Settings under Desktop and Dock, the Default web browser menu lets you choose. On older versions of macOS it sits in the General settings instead.