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How to Set a Default Browser in Windows 11

Choose your preferred browser in Windows 11 Settings, assign specific link types when needed, and check S mode or Outlook and Teams preferences if links still open in Edge.
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To set your default browser in Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps, select the browser you want, and choose Set default if that button appears. You can also change an individual link or file association if only certain items keep opening elsewhere.

Set your default browser in Windows 11

  1. Open Start > Settings.
  2. Go to Apps > Default apps.
  3. Search for the browser you want to use, then select its entry.
  4. Select Set default if the control appears. Microsoft documents this flow for Edge: find Microsoft Edge in Default apps and select Set default. Microsoft’s Edge instructions may show slightly different labels as Windows changes.

The Windows default-apps page is where you choose which app opens supported links and file types. See Microsoft’s instructions for changing default apps.

Change the browser for a specific link or file type

If the general browser setting does not affect a particular item, assign its association directly:

  1. Open Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps.
  2. Search for the relevant link type or file type—for example, a protocol or file extension—and select the result.
  3. Choose the browser you want to open that type.

Microsoft’s guidance describes searching for a file extension or protocol, then changing the app assigned to it. This is useful when one kind of link behaves differently from other web links.

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Why links may still open in Microsoft Edge

Windows 11 is in S mode

Microsoft says Edge remains the default browser in Windows 11 in S mode, and Chrome or Firefox cannot be made the default while the device stays in that mode. Leaving S mode is permanent, so check the implications before choosing to switch. Details are in Microsoft’s Windows 10 and Windows 11 in S mode FAQ.

Outlook or Teams has its own link preference

Outlook and Teams can use an app-specific setting for links, independent of Windows’ default-browser choice. In new Outlook, check Settings > General > Files and links. In Teams, check Settings > Files and links > Link open preferences. Labels can vary by app version. Microsoft explains these options in its guidance on links from Outlook emails and Teams chats opening in Edge.

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Only one type of link or file opens elsewhere

Return to Settings > Apps > Default apps and change that specific link-type or file-type association. A per-type assignment can differ from the browser you selected generally.

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