How to change your default browser to Safari
Safari becomes your default browser through your system settings, not through Safari itself. On a Mac, you open System Settings, find the General tab, scroll to the Default web browser dropdown, and select Safari. On iPhone or iPad, you go to Settings, scroll down to Safari, tap Default Browser App, and choose Safari from the list. The change takes effect immediately — any link you click in Mail, Messages, Notes, or other apps will open in Safari from that point forward.
The reason this matters: your operating system controls which browser opens when you click a link, not the browser you happen to have open. Even if Safari is running, if Chrome or Firefox is set as default, links will launch in that browser instead. Changing the default is a one-time action that stays in place until you change it again.
Key Takeaways
- On Mac, open System Settings, go to General, find Default web browser, and select Safari from the dropdown menu.
- On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, scroll to Safari, tap Default Browser App, and choose Safari.
- Your default browser setting controls which app opens when you click links in Mail, Messages, Notes, and other apps.
- The change takes effect immediately and remains until you manually select a different default browser.
Setting Safari as default on macOS
Open System Settings by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner and selecting System Settings. In the sidebar, click General. Scroll down until you see "Default web browser" — it will show your current default in a dropdown menu. Click the dropdown and select Safari. That's the complete process; you can close System Settings afterward.
If you don't see the Default web browser option, make sure you're in the General tab and not somewhere else like Privacy or Network. The option appears in the main General view, roughly in the middle of the page. On older Macs running macOS Monterey or earlier, the setting is in System Preferences rather than System Settings, but the location and name are the same.
Setting Safari as default on iPhone and iPad
Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down the list of apps until you see Safari — it's usually near the bottom, after Mail and Messages. Tap Safari. At the top of the Safari settings page, you'll see "Default Browser App" with your current default shown. Tap that option and select Safari from the list that appears. Close Settings and you're done.
On some older versions of iOS, this option may not exist — the feature was added in iOS 14. If you don't see Default Browser App in your Safari settings, your device is running an older version and doesn't support changing the default browser.
What happens when you set Safari as default
Once Safari is your default, clicking a link in Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders, or any other app will open that link in Safari instead of whatever browser was previously set. Links in web pages themselves still open in whatever browser you're currently using — the default only applies to links clicked outside of a web browser.
If you have multiple user accounts on your Mac, each account has its own default browser setting. Changing the default for one user doesn't affect the others. On iPhone and iPad, there's only one user, so the setting applies system-wide.
Switching back to a different default browser
If you later want to use Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or another browser as your default, follow the same steps: open System Settings (or Settings on iPhone), find the Default web browser option, and select a different browser from the dropdown. You can change your default browser as many times as you want, and the change takes effect immediately each time.
Some browsers may not appear in the default browser list if they're not installed on your device. If you want to set a browser as default, you need to have that browser installed first. Once installed, it will appear in the dropdown menu.
Why Safari might not appear in the default browser list
Safari is built into macOS and iOS, so it should always appear in the default browser dropdown. If it doesn't, try restarting your device — sometimes the settings menu needs a refresh to show all available options. On Mac, you can also try opening System Settings again and navigating back to the Default web browser option.
If Safari still doesn't appear after a restart, check that you're in the correct settings location. On Mac, confirm you're in System Settings (not System Preferences on very old versions) and in the General tab. On iPhone, confirm you're in Settings > Safari and looking at the Default Browser App option, not a different Safari setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my default browser delete my bookmarks or passwords in other browsers?
No. Changing your default browser only changes which app opens when you click links outside of a web browser. Your bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history in Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser remain exactly as they are. The change is purely about which app launches — it doesn't touch any data.
Can I set different default browsers for different types of links?
No. Your operating system allows only one default browser at a time. All links clicked outside of a web browser will open in whichever browser you've set as default. You can change the default whenever you want, but you can't assign different browsers to different link types.
What if I want Safari as default on my Mac but a different browser on my iPhone?
You can set different defaults on different devices. Your Mac and iPhone have separate settings, so you can make Safari default on your Mac while keeping Chrome (or any other browser) as default on your iPhone. Each device's default is independent.
Does setting Safari as default make it faster or more secure?
No. Making Safari your default browser doesn't change how Safari performs or how secure it is. It only changes which app opens when you click links in Mail or Messages. Safari's speed and security features are the same whether it's your default or not.