With Windows 11, Microsoft changed the steps to change your default browser from Edge to a different program. A relatively simple process in Windows 10 is more confusing and cumbersome in Windows 11. But don’t give up. You can always change your default browser. Changing the default in Firefox is the easiest option because Mozilla’s browser offers a built-in method. Switching to Chrome or another browser is more complicated but still doable. Let’s see how it works.

SEE: Windows 11 Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need to Know (Free PDF) (TechRepublic)

First, let’s say you have Firefox, Chrome, or some other browser installed and want to make it the default browser instead of Edge.

Firefox

We will try Firefox first. With version 91, Mozilla has improved and simplified the way you can make this your default in Windows. Open Firefox and make sure you are using version 91 or higher. To check, click the hamburger icon in the top right, select Help, then select About Firefox. The browser will tell you it is up to date or it will download the latest update.

Restart Firefox after installing the update. Again, click on the hamburger icon and select Settings. In the General section of the Settings screen, click the Set as Default button (Figure A). Firefox will tell you that this is currently your default browser.

Figure A

Google Chrome and other browsers

To change the default browser to Google Chrome, open Chrome, click the three-dot icon in the top right, and then go to Settings. On the Settings screen, select the Default browser section, and then click the Set as default button (Number B). You are taken to the default apps screen under Windows 11 settings. To change it to another browser or even Chrome, just go straight to the Windows 11 Settings screen, go to Apps, and then select Default apps. .

Number B

But now lies the challenge. In Windows 10, you can easily change your default browser with just one action, and it will change for all types of web files including htm, html, http, https, etc. But in Windows 11, you have to change each file type separately. .

Scroll down to the default apps screen and click on the option for Google Chrome or the browser you want to set as default. The next screen will show you Edge as the default for pretty much all file types. Click on the first type you want to change from Edge, probably HTM. Of course, Microsoft will try to hamper your efforts by trying to convince you to stick with Edge. Click the button to Change Anyway (Figure C).

Figure C

Then choose your new favorite browser, Chrome or whatever. Click OK (Number D).

Number D

Use the same steps to change the remaining file types currently set to use Edge by default. At a minimum, you’ll want to change the default for htm, html, shtml, xht, xhtml, ftp, http, and https (Encrypted).

Encrypted

The previous steps will work for common web file types, but not for all content. Click a link from the Windows 11 widgets screen, for example, and Microsoft always opens the linked page with Edge. There is a workaround, through a third-party utility called EdgeDeflector. Launch any browser except Edge and navigate to the GitHub page for EdgeDeflector. Download and install the program.

Go back to the Windows 11 Settings screen, select Apps, and then select Default apps. Scroll to the bottom and click the Choose default apps by link type link. Scroll down until you see an entry for MICROSOFT-EDGE. Click on this entry and select EdgeDeflector. Click OK (Figure F).

Figure F

Now open the widgets app and click a link for a news item or other item, and it will open in your current default browser.

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