The Reddit iPhone app does not let you pick a specific browser. It gives you two choices: open links inside Reddit (In app) or hand them to your iPhone’s default browser. To change it, open Reddit’s Settings, find Open links, and switch it away from In app. Then choose the browser itself in iPhone Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Browser App.
So there are two settings involved, and they live in two different places. The Reddit setting decides whether a link leaves the app. The iPhone setting decides which browser catches it. This guide covers both, how to confirm the change worked, how to undo it, and what to check when links still open in the wrong place.
What You Need First
- The official Reddit app, updated. Reddit’s help center lists minimum supported iOS and app versions; as of June 2026 that was iOS 16 for iPhone. Older app versions may show different menus.
- The browser you want, installed. Safari is already on your iPhone. Chrome, Firefox, Edge and others come from the App Store.
- A recent version of iOS if you want a browser other than Safari. Apple says the Default Apps menu requires updating to the latest iOS.
A note on accuracy: Reddit’s help center documents how to reach the app’s Settings screen, but it does not have a page about the Open links option. The option name and its location below come from published guides to the iOS app, and Reddit moves and renames settings fairly often. The iPhone steps come from Apple’s documentation, checked in October 2026.
In App vs. Default Browser
- In app: the page opens in a browser view built into Reddit. You never leave the app, and closing the page returns you to the post. Guides to the app describe this as the default.
- Default browser: Reddit passes the link to iOS, and the page opens in a separate browser app. That is Safari unless you have chosen something else. You get that browser’s bookmarks, saved passwords and tabs, but you have to switch back to Reddit yourself.
An in-app browser is a stripped-down web view inside another app. It is fine for a quick read. A full browser is the better choice when you want to stay signed in to sites, keep a page open in a tab for later, or use content blockers and extensions you have set up there.
How to Change How Reddit Opens Links on iPhone
Reddit’s official iOS app FAQ gives the route to Settings as your avatar, then the three-line menu. The last two steps are the part Reddit does not document.
- Open the Reddit app and tap your avatar (profile picture). Your profile page or account menu opens.
- Tap Settings. If you do not see it, tap the three-line menu near the top-right corner of your profile page first, then tap Settings.
- Scroll down to the Advanced section and look for Open links. In older versions of the app, this option was called Link browser.
- Tap the current value (usually In app) and choose the default browser option instead.
- Go back to your feed. There is no save button; the change applies as soon as you pick it.
If the labels on your screen are different, scroll through the whole Settings screen and look for any option that mentions links or a browser. If you only see Safari, Chrome or similar names in an older version of the app, pick the one you want there and update the app when you can.
Choose Which Browser Opens the Links
Reddit only hands the link to iOS. Your iPhone decides which app opens it. Apple’s Change the default apps on iPhone page in the iPhone User Guide gives these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Apps. It is near the bottom of the main Settings list.
- Tap Default Apps at the top of the list of apps.
- Tap Browser App. Apple describes this as the app used “to open links on the web.”
- Select the browser you want. A checkmark shows the current default.
This is a system-wide choice. It changes where web links open from Mail, Messages and other apps too, not only Reddit. iOS has no setting that gives one app its own separate browser. If Chrome is your goal, our guide on how to make Chrome the default browser on an iPhone walks through that browser in more detail.
Apple notes that an app must support being a default before it shows up in the list. In its support article on changing default apps on iPhone and iPad, Apple says to contact the app developer if you do not see an option to set a particular app as the default.
If You Do Not See Default Apps
The Default Apps menu is part of newer iOS versions. On an iPhone that has not been updated, the option has usually been inside the browser’s own settings page instead: open Settings, tap the browser’s name (inside Apps on some versions), then tap Default Browser App. Apple’s current documentation only describes the Default Apps route, so updating iOS is the more reliable fix.
Confirm It Worked
- In Reddit, find a post that links to an outside website, such as a news article.
- Tap the link.
- Watch what happens. If your iPhone switches to Safari, Chrome or another browser app, with that app’s address bar and tabs, both settings are doing their job.
If the page opens inside Reddit instead, the Reddit setting is still on In app. If it opens in a browser but not the one you wanted, the iPhone Browser App setting is the one to fix.
How to Switch Back
Both changes are easy to reverse, and neither one deletes anything.
- Keep links inside Reddit again: return to Reddit’s Settings, open Open links, and choose In app.
- Go back to Safari: open iPhone Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Browser App and select Safari.
Bookmarks, history and saved passwords stay inside each browser app when you change the default. You are only changing where new links open.
Links Still Open in the Wrong Place?
- Links still open inside Reddit. Recheck Open links in Reddit’s Settings. If you use more than one Reddit account, check the setting again after switching accounts.
- You cannot find Open links. Update Reddit in the App Store, then look through Settings again, including the Advanced section. Make sure you opened Settings from the three-line menu on your profile page, not the community menu on the home feed.
- Links open in Safari, not your browser. Reddit is working correctly. Change Browser App in iPhone Settings.
- Your browser is not listed under Browser App. Open the App Store and update that browser. If it still does not appear, it may not support being a default browser.
- Reddit links stay in Reddit. Links to other posts, comments and communities are Reddit content, so expect them to stay in the app. Videos and images hosted by Reddit also play in the app’s own viewer.
- A link opens another app. A link to a service whose app is installed can open that app directly instead of a browser. That is a separate iOS behavior. For a related example, see how to get Discord map links to open in Google Maps on an iPhone.
- The setting is locked. On an iPhone managed by a school or employer, the organization may control the default browser. Ask your administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Reddit use Chrome while everything else uses Safari?
Not with current settings. Reddit’s option only chooses between its in-app browser and your iPhone’s default browser, and iOS has one default browser for the whole phone. You can still open a single page elsewhere by copying its link or using the share sheet.
Will Reddit links show up in my browser history?
Yes, when they open in your default browser. That browser records them like any other page you visit. Pages viewed in Reddit’s in-app browser generally do not appear in that history. Reddit keeps its own list of posts you have viewed, which you can remove by following our guide on how to clear local history in the Reddit iPhone app.
Does this setting change the Reddit website or my other devices?
Treat it as a setting for the app on this iPhone. It has nothing to do with reddit.com in a browser, and you should check the app on an iPad or Android phone separately.
Does changing the default browser delete Safari?
No. Safari stays installed and keeps its bookmarks and tabs. You can open it any time from the Home Screen, and you can make it the default again from Browser App.
Why did my links start opening inside Reddit again?
App settings can return to their defaults after you reinstall the app, and an update may move or rename the option. Open Reddit’s Settings and set Open links again.
Next Steps
While you are in Reddit’s Settings, you can also turn off autoplay in the Reddit iPhone app or turn on dark mode in the Reddit iPhone app. For private viewing in another app, see how to turn on incognito mode in the YouTube iPhone app.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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