How to Change the Default Browser on Windows 11
Make Chrome, Firefox, or another browser the default on Windows 11. Here's the one-click Set default button, covering PDF and links, and why it reverts.
To change the default browser on Windows 11, open Settings, Apps, Default apps, select the browser you want, and click the Set default button at the top. Since version 22H2 that one button assigns the common web types together, so links and web files open in your chosen browser instead of Edge.
Set it in one click
Open Settings, Apps, Default apps. Under “Set defaults for applications,” type or scroll to your browser — Chrome, Firefox, or another — and open it. Next to “Make [browser] your default browser,” click Set default. That single button, added in 22H2, assigns http, https, .htm, and .html at once. Many browsers also offer a “Set as default” button in their own first-run prompt, which just opens this same screen.
| Web type | One-click Set default | If not |
|---|---|---|
| http / https links | Yes | Set the protocol handlers |
| .htm / .html files | Yes | Set each file type |
| .pdf files | No, separate | Set .pdf to the browser |
Cover PDFs and stray links
The Set default button handles web pages, but PDF is a separate association: scroll down the browser’s page in Default apps and set .pdf to it if you want PDFs to open there. If links still open in Edge after you switched, change the http and https protocol handlers lower on the Default apps page from Edge to your browser, since links use those. A few system links — widgets, search, and help — are hardcoded to Edge, and only a third-party tool like MSEdgeRedirect forces those elsewhere.
When it won’t stick
If the default keeps reverting to Edge, Edge running in the background can re-claim it, and a monthly update can reset associations. Set every web type manually (http, https, .htm, .html), stop Edge from pre-launching at startup, and re-check after updates. Choosing which browser to commit to is its own question — Chrome vs Edge on Windows 11 weighs them, and it is worth keeping Chrome updated whichever you pick. If you are staying on Edge, clearing its cache and cookies keeps it quick.
One click on Set default covers day-to-day browsing; add .pdf and the http/https handlers only if links or documents still slip back to Edge. A default that keeps reverting is almost always Edge re-claiming it after an update.
Common questions
Why does my default browser keep reverting to Edge?
Edge can re-claim the default when it runs in the background, and Windows updates sometimes reset associations. Set each web type by hand, keep Edge from launching at startup, and re-check after the monthly update.
How do I set the default for PDFs and HTML too?
The Set default button covers http, https, .htm, and .html. PDF is separate — scroll to the file-type list on your browser’s page in Default apps and set .pdf to it individually.
How do I stop Edge opening links?
After clicking Set default, also change the http and https protocol handlers, lower on the Default apps page, from Edge to your browser. Links are opened through those handlers.
Why do some links still open in Edge anyway?
A handful of system links — widgets, Windows Search, and Help — are hardcoded to Edge regardless of your default. A tool such as MSEdgeRedirect can force those to your chosen browser.