How to Set Google Chrome as Default Browser on Windows 11

Google Chrome is by far the preferred browser on the planet, to the extent that customers go the additional mile of downloading and establishing Chrome as their default browser on Windows — a lot to the chagrin of Microsoft and its effort to maintain customers using Edge.

But in the event you’re unsure how to go about making Google Chrome the default browser, fret not. Here is every little thing you’ll want to know to take action and all of the issues that you must do when establishing Google Chrome for the primary time.

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Set Google Chrome as Default Browser

On Windows 11, as of now, there is just one approach of creating Google Chrome the default browser on Windows 11, that’s, manually – a course of that requires an entire lot of clicks. Let’s check out it step-by-step so you recognize what you’ll want to do.

Method #01: Using Settings

With Windows 11, Microsoft has made it that a lot tougher for customers to modify away from Edge. However, in the event you actually need to make the change, right here’s how to go about it:

First up, open Settings by urgent Win + I. Then click on on Apps within the left pane.

Click on Default apps on the best.

Now seek for Chrome beneath “Set defaults for applications” and choose it.

On the subsequent display, you’ll see a bunch of file varieties, reminiscent of HTM, HTML, PDF, SHTML, and so on., all of that are related to Microsoft Edge by default. Click on one.

Choose Google Chrome and click on OK.

You ought to see Google Chrome change into the default browser for opening that file kind. 

Do so for all of the file varieties right here the place the default possibility is Microsoft Edge (sure, we all know it’s a chore, blame Microsoft for this). Once you’re performed and many of the essential file varieties are set to open with Chrome, you’ve got modified the default browser to Google Chrome.

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Method #02: Using Google Chrome itself

There was a time when making Chrome as your default browser took only a single click on. All you needed to do was open Chrome and click on on the “Set as default” immediate.

But these days, if you achieve this, you’ll be taken straight to the Settings web page that we had within the earlier part. So, observe Method #01 above as soon as you’re taken to the default apps web page.

Users don’t have any selection however to undergo the labor of creating Chrome the default app for opening the various file varieties related to a browser.

Change default electronic mail shopper to Gmail

Changing the default browser doesn’t imply that every little thing related to looking is modified as effectively. The electronic mail shopper, as an example, continues to be set to Microsoft’s Mail app. If Gmail is your most important electronic mail shopper, you’d need to change that too so that each time you click on on an electronic mail deal with, Chrome opens it with Gmail. 

Step 1: Change electronic mail app to Chrome

The first step to altering your default electronic mail shopper to Gmail is to vary the e-mail app to Chrome. To achieve this, press Win + I to open Settings and click on on Apps within the left pane.

Now click on on Default apps.

Now, beneath “Set defaults for applications”, seek for Mail. Then choose the Mail app.

Here, click on on Mail beneath “MAILTO”. 

Select Google Chrome and click on OK.

Step 2: Set Chrome to open Mailto hyperlinks in Gmail

The next step is to make sure that everytime you click on on the Mailto hyperlink and Chrome opens up, you’re instantly taken to Gmail. For this, we’ve to make the modifications in Chrome’s settings.

So open Google Chrome and click on on the three dots on the high proper nook.

Then choose Settings.

Click on Privacy and Security within the left pane.

Click on Site Settings.

Under “Permissions”, click on on Additional permissions.

Then click on on Protocol handlers.

Make certain the Sites can ask to deal with protocols possibility is chosen.

Now, open Gmail on Chrome. You ought to see a pop up from Gmail asking you to set it as default for opening electronic mail hyperlinks. Click on Allow.

And that’s it! You’ve now arrange Chrome so that each one your Mailto hyperlinks open in Gmail. 

Top issues to do when establishing Google Chrome on Windows 11 for the primary time

Apart from the aforementioned, there are a number of more issues that you must look to do if you’re establishing Chrome on Windows 11 for the primary time. Thanks to Microsoft, making Chrome the default browser has change into cumbersome, so that you may as effectively take advantage of it now that you just’ve made it the default browser. 

Sign in to your Google account

Chrome with no Google account integration is sort of a home with no mailbox. Everything nonetheless works, however you’re significantly better off with it than with out. Here’s how to sign up to your Google account on Chrome.

Open Google Chrome and click on on the profile icon in direction of the highest proper nook.

Then click on on Add on the backside.

Click on Sign in.

Enter your electronic mail deal with and click on Next.

Enter your password and click on Next.

You have now linked your Google account to your Chrome profile. We advocate turning on Sync as effectively in order that your passwords, bookmarks, and historical past are synced on all of your units. Click on Yes, I’m in.

Import bookmarks and saved passwords

If you had been using a unique browser all this whereas, chances are you’ll need to import all these bookmarks and saved passwords to Google Chrome. Assuming it was Edge that you just had been using, right here’s how one can export bookmarks from Edge and import them to Google Chrome.

Open Chrome and click on on the three dots on the high proper nook.

Click Settings.

Then click on on Import bookmarks and settings.

Choose Microsoft Internet Explorer and click on Import.

Click on Done.

And there you’ve got it! You have now efficiently imported your browser historical past, bookmarks, passwords, and so on. to Chrome.

Set homepage and startup web page

As you’re using Chrome, you’d need to arrange your homepage and startup web page preferences as effectively. Here’s how to set homepage and startup web page:

Click on the three dots icon on the high proper nook.

Select Settings.

Click on On startup on the left (or scroll all the way in which down and click on on it.)

Then choose an choice to configure your startup web page. We need to be certain we resume from the place we left off so we’re going with Continue the place you left off.

If you need to open a brand new tab each time, click on on Open the New Tab web page.

If there’s a particular web page that you just need to open, click on on Open a particular web page or set of pages.

Then click on on the three dots next to specify the web page.

Click on Edit.

Type the positioning URL and click on Save.

Change Downloads vacation spot

By default, all Chrome downloads go to the ‘Downloads’ folder in your laptop. To change the placement, go to the identical Chrome Settings web page as proven earlier than. Then click on on Advanced on the left.

Then choose Downloads.

To change the downloads location, click on on Change.

Navigate to the folder that you really want as your new downloads location, and click on on Select folder.

If you need to be requested the place to avoid wasting a file each time you obtain, toggle ON Ask the place to avoid wasting every file earlier than downloading.

Sign in to Google with out signing in to Chrome

If you need to sign up to Google however don’t need to sign up to Chrome, all you need to do is to show off the Chrome sign-in possibility. Here’s how to take action:

Go to Chrome settings as proven earlier than. Then click on on Sync and Google providers.

Then, beneath “Other Google services”, toggle OFF Allow Chrome sign-in.

When prompted, click on Turn off.

So that is how one can arrange Google Chrome as your default browser and customise it so you possibly can take advantage of it on Windows 11.