Safari is normally set as the default browser in Mac so whenever you click on an external link or when a third-party app wants to redirect you to the browser, Safari will be launched automatically. However, if you prefer Google Chrome, Mozilla or any other browser over Safari, then you have to first set it as the default browser.
When you launch a third-party browser for the first time, you’ll be asked whether you want to set it as the default browser. In case you disallowed this accidentally, there’s still an easy way to change the default browser. In this tutorial, we are going to show you how to do so.
Change the default browser in OS X Yosemite (10.10) or later
Step 1: Open the Apple Menu by clicking on the logo in the top left corner and choose System Preferences.
Step 2: Find and open the General settings.
Step 3: You’ll find an option that says Default Web Browser. Click on the dropdown next to it and choose the browser that should be set as the default.
Step 4: Close system preferences and your default browser should now be set.
Change the default browser on OS X Mavericks or earlier
Step 1: Launch Safari on your Mac.
Step 2: Open the Safari menu and choose Preferences. Alternatively, you can press ‘Cmd + ,’ .
Step 3: Switch to the General tab and you’ll find a dropdown for selecting the default web browser.
The process is the same for other browsers, in case you want to switch from Chrome, Mozilla or anything else to some other browser.
That’s all you need to do to change the default browser on your Mac. Now, whenever you click on an external link, you will be taken to the new browser that you set as the default. Keep in mind that the browser you want to set as the default should be installed on your Mac otherwise it won’t be listed.
