Tech Reference

How to make Google Chrome your default browser on a PC or Mac

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Thanks to its personalized features, Google Chrome offers a few advantages to users who make it their default browser. For example, making Chrome your default browser means that any link you open will be automatically accessed through Chrome. To make full use of the browser's perks, you'll first have to download it to your computer.

How to make Google Chrome your default browser on Mac

Setting Google Chrome as your default browser is simple. If you haven't already, you'll need to download the application.  There are two ways you can set Chrome as your internet browser.

1. Once downloaded, open Google Chrome.

2. Click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner to open the menu. 

3. Select Settings from the list.

4. Click on Default browser from the menu on the left.

default browser google chrome
Click Default browser in the menu on the left.  Ennica Jacob

Alternatively, you can follow these steps:

1. From the desktop screen, click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner.

2. Click System Preferences from the menu.

3. Select General from the options.

4. Next to Default web browser, select Google Chrome from the pop-up list and close the window.

default browser chrome on mac
Select Google Chrome from the Default web browser menu.  Ennica Jacob

How to make Google Chrome your default browser on PC

Making Chrome your browser can be a bit different depending on the Windows navigation interface you may have.

If you're using Windows 10, do the following:

1. Click Start to open the menu.

2. Select Settings from the options menu.

3. Click the Apps tab.

4. Select Default apps from the side panel.

5. Under Web browser, click on the current browser.

6. Choose Google Chrome from the app window, then hit Done

windows chrome browser set
Change your default in the Web browser section to Google Chrome.  Insider

The following steps are for users with Windows 8 and 7:

1. Click Start to open the menu.

2. Locate and click the Control Panel.

3. Click Programs.

4. Select Default Programs, then Set your default programs.

5. Choose Google Chrome from the left-side list.

6. Select Set this program as default and hit OK when finished.

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Ennica Jacob is a multimedia producer and video journalist. In Summer 2019, she interned at the New York Daily News, where she penned two front page stories and covered daily breaking news from court proceedings to social events. In January 2020, she completed a semester in Paris, with an independent study project at CELSA - Université Paris-Sorbonne, a short documentary focused on the evolution of Hip-Hop, and an internship at Society Magazine. She's been freelancing with Insider since December 2020 and is currently a fellow with the Video Reference team.