To make Chrome your iPhone’s default browser, open Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Browser App, then choose Chrome. Web links that iOS sends to your default browser will now open in Chrome. Safari remains available, and you can switch back through the same menu.
Installing Chrome is only the first step. You also need to select it as the default. Moving the Chrome icon to your Dock or changing your search engine does not make that selection for you.
Before You Start
Install Chrome from the App Store and make sure it opens normally. Google documents default-browser support for iOS 14 and later, but the version of Chrome currently available in the App Store can have a newer minimum iOS requirement. Check the app’s Compatibility section if the download is unavailable on an older iPhone.
These instructions describe documented settings, including Apple’s current Default Apps menu. The older menu paths below are included because your screen depends on the iOS version installed. You do not need to sign in to a Google account to select Chrome as the default browser.
On a work or school iPhone, your organization may manage browser choices or the way links open in work apps. Contact the administrator if a setting is unavailable or locked.
Choose Chrome in Default Apps
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Default Apps near the top of the Apps screen.
- Tap Browser App. This is the category for opening web links.
- Tap Chrome. A checkmark beside Chrome indicates your selection.
- Leave Settings and open a web link from another app to check the result.
If Chrome is already checked, you do not need to change anything. This setting chooses the app that receives a web link; it does not move bookmarks, passwords, open tabs, or your Safari history into Chrome.
If Your iPhone Has an Older Settings Layout
If Apps is present but Default Apps is not, open Settings > Apps > Chrome, then look for Default Browser App and select Chrome.
On older versions where apps appear directly on the main Settings screen, the route is Settings > Chrome > Default Browser App > Chrome. Scroll down to the installed-app section to find Chrome. The older route is especially useful when following an iOS 14–17 guide.
Use the route matching the labels on your phone. A missing Apps menu on an older iOS version does not mean Chrome cannot be the default. However, versions before iOS 14 do not support this browser selection.
Start From Inside Chrome
Chrome also provides a shortcut to the relevant iPhone setting. Google’s default-browser instructions describe this route:
- Open Chrome.
- Tap More, the three-dot menu.
- Open Settings, then tap Default Browser.
- Tap Go to Settings to open the iPhone settings screen.
- Open Default Browser App, if shown, and choose Chrome.
The important final step takes place in iPhone Settings. A prompt inside Chrome helps you reach the setting; dismissing the prompt or opening Chrome alone does not change the default.
Check That the Change Worked
Choose an ordinary web link in a message or note, rather than a link to an installed app. Tap it and look for Chrome’s address bar and browser controls. Return to Browser App in Settings to confirm the checkmark remains beside Chrome.
If a social app opens the link in its own viewer, that is not a conclusive test. Some apps keep web pages inside the app, have their own browser preference, or offer an Open in browser action. A link to a service whose app is installed may open that app directly. Those behaviors are separate from the system default-browser setting. Reddit is one example, and you can change the web browser used by the Reddit iPhone app in that app.
You can still open Safari manually to browse a website. Making Chrome the default does not prevent Safari from working or redirect pages that you deliberately open inside Safari.
If Chrome Is Missing or Links Still Open Elsewhere
Chrome does not appear in Browser App: Confirm it is installed by finding and opening the Chrome app. Check for a Chrome update in the App Store. Google specifically recommends updating Chrome when the default-browser option is missing. For version information, see how to check your Chrome version.
There is no Default Apps menu: Try the older app-specific paths above, and check Settings > General > About for your iOS version. Do not follow a newer menu path repeatedly when the phone has an older layout.
One particular app still uses Safari or Edge: Check that app’s link-opening options. Managed work apps may follow an organization’s policy. Test a link from a different app before concluding that the iPhone setting failed.
A website opens its own app: That may be an app link rather than a normal browser link. Use a simple website URL for your test. The browser default does not control every type of link on the phone. For one example, see how to get iPhone Discord map links to open in Google Maps.
Chrome opens, but the website will not load: The default selection has probably worked. Check your connection and try a different website; page-loading failures are a separate issue.
Switch Back to Safari
Open Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Browser App and choose Safari. On an older layout, return to Default Browser App under Chrome and select Safari there.
Check the Safari selection and repeat the ordinary-link test. You do not need to uninstall Chrome to undo the change. Keeping both browsers installed makes it easy to use either app when a site works better in one of them.
Common Questions
Does this make Google my search engine everywhere?
No. A browser and a search engine are different choices. This setting selects Chrome to open web links. Chrome’s search engine is configured within Chrome, and Safari keeps its own search settings. To change those, see how to set Google as the Safari search engine on iPhone. Apple’s default-app guide treats these as separate settings.
Will links open in Incognito automatically?
No. Choosing Chrome does not turn ordinary browsing into Incognito browsing. When you want a private Chrome session, open one using our Incognito tab guide for iPhone.
Do I need to remove Safari or change my Dock?
No. The Default Browser selection is sufficient. You can move Chrome to the Dock for convenient access, but that is an optional Home Screen arrangement and does not determine where web links open.
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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