How to Set Chrome as Default Browser on Windows, Mac, Linux (2026)

Setting Google Chrome as your default browser ensures every link from emails, documents, and other applications opens in Chrome automatically. The fastest method works the same on every OS — set it from inside Chrome.

This guide covers all OS-specific paths, the Chrome-driven shortcut, and what to do when the option is greyed out.

Universal method: from Chrome itself

The fastest path — works on every OS, Chrome opens the right OS settings for you.

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Navigate to chrome://settings/defaultBrowser (paste into the URL bar)
3. Click Make default — your OS default-apps panel opens
4. Confirm Chrome in the Web browser dropdown

Windows 10 / 11

Method 1: Windows Settings (Recommended)

1. Press Win + I to open Settings
2. Click Apps
3. Click Default apps in left sidebar
4. Scroll to Web browser
5. Click the current browser (Edge by default)
6. Select Google Chrome from the list
7. Close Settings

Here’s what the Settings panel should look like after selecting Chrome:

Method 2: Quick command

Faster than clicking through Settings:

1. Press Win + R to open Run
2. Type ms-settings:defaultapps and press Enter
3. Jump straight to Web browser and select Google Chrome

Method 3: File-type defaults

For granular control over what types open in Chrome:

1. Open Settings → Apps → Default apps
2. Click Choose defaults by file type
3. Find .html, .htm, http, https
4. Click each and select Google Chrome

Windows 7 / 8 (legacy)

Use Control Panel instead — Settings doesn’t exist on these versions:

1. Open Control Panel
2. Click Programs → Set your default programs
3. Select Google Chrome from the list
4. Click Set this program as default
5. Click OK

For protocol-level defaults, click Choose defaults for this program and check HTTP, HTTPS, HTML, HTM.

macOS

System Settings (Ventura 13+)

1. Click the Apple menu → System Settings
2. Click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar
3. Scroll to Default web browser
4. Select Google Chrome from the dropdown

Here’s the macOS panel with Chrome selected:

System Preferences (Monterey 12 and earlier)

1. Apple menu → System Preferences
2. Click General
3. Find Default web browser near the bottom
4. Select Google Chrome

Verify

Open a link from Mail, Notes, or Messages — it should now open in Chrome.

Linux

Linux varies by desktop environment. The cleanest method is the universal CLI:

This works on GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, Cinnamon — anywhere xdg-utils is installed (basically every mainstream distro).

GUI methods per desktop

GNOME: Settings → Default Applications → Web → Google Chrome

KDE Plasma: System Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Web Browser → Google Chrome

XFCE: Settings → Preferred Applications → Web Browser → Google Chrome

Chrome Settings Method

For completeness — Chrome itself can drive the whole flow:

When Chrome prompts you

If Chrome isn’t your default, it shows a banner: “Chrome is not your default browser”. Click Set as default and Chrome opens the correct OS settings panel.

Manual via Chrome settings

1. Open Chrome
2. Visit chrome://settings/defaultBrowser (or click the three-dot menu → Settings → Default browser)
3. Click Make default
4. Confirm in the OS dialog that appears

Troubleshooting

Chrome not in the default browser list

Default resets after restart

Most common cause: third-party browser-protection software (antivirus suites, parental controls, MDM profiles) actively reverting your choice. Audit installed software for anything browser-related and disable.

On Windows: also try running Settings as Administrator when setting the default (right-click → Run as administrator).

Some links still open in another browser

Set defaults for specific protocols, not just the top-level “Web browser”:

• HTTP → Google Chrome
• HTTPS → Google Chrome
• HTML files → Google Chrome
• HTM files → Google Chrome

”Make default” button is greyed out

This usually means Chrome isn’t fully installed or registered with the OS. Reinstall Chrome from the official source (google.com/chrome) — package-manager versions on some Linux distros lack the .desktop registration needed for default-browser detection.

Quick reference

Windows 10 / 11: Settings → Apps → Default apps → Web browser → Chrome

Windows 7 / 8: Control Panel → Programs → Set default programs

macOS Ventura+: System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Default web browser

macOS Monterey-: System Preferences → General → Default web browser

Linux (any DE): xdg-settings set default-web-browser google-chrome.desktop

Chrome itself: chrome://settings/defaultBrowser → Make default

Conclusion

Setting Chrome as default is a 30-second job once you know the path:

1. Use Chrome’s built-in prompt when it offers — easiest
2. chrome://settings/defaultBrowser as a direct route
3. System Settings / Control Panel when Chrome’s path is blocked
4. Verify by opening a link from Mail or another app

After this, every web link in your OS funnels through Chrome — emails, documents, sticky notes, anywhere a URL appears.