Google Chrome Default Browser Mac



October 12, 2019Nicole Jones

As you know, Safari is the default browser on Mac. When you click a link in an email, document or elsewhere, Safari will open the webpage automatically. This is the main difference between the default browser and common browsers.

Get more done with the new Google Chrome. A more simple, secure, and faster web browser than ever, with Google’s smarts built-in. More than that, some apps you run on a Mac — like a browser — are particularly vulnerable to malware, spyware and general hijacking. We’ve previously covered how to remove a browser hijack from Safari. But you may be using Google Chrome, which is still one of the most popular browsers available today.

If you want to open the specific site with Google Chrome or Firefox, you can copy and paste URL in the address bar directly. But if you want to make the certain browser as your first choice, you need to change default browser on Mac. Here're workable ways to set default browser from Safari to Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi and more.

  • Part 1: How to Change Default Browser on Mac with General Preferences
  • Part 2: How to Change Default Browser on Mac with Each Browser Settings
  • Bonus Tips: Delete Browsing History and Make Your Browser Run Fast

Part 1: How to Change Default Browser on Mac with General Preferences

Thanks to the newer Apple OS updates, you can get one more way to set default browser on Mac. There is no need to open Safari to change a new web browser. Just read and check.

How to Change Default Browser in Mac OS X EI Capitan/Yosemite/High Sierra/Mojave

Step 1. Choose 'System Preferences' from the 'Apple' drop-down menu.

Step 2. Click 'General' in the first place. A new 'General' window pops up.

Step 3. In the 'Default web browser' section, browse and change default browser on Mac High Sierra or more.

How to Change Default Browser in Mac OS X Mavericks or Earlier

Step 1. Run the Safari app on Mac.

Step 2. Unfold the 'Safari' list. Select 'Preferences' to access Safari preferences.

Step 3. Head to the 'General' page.

Step 4. Set default browser on Mac next to 'Default web browser'.

Step 5. Close the Preferences window. Then exit Safari.

Part 2: How to Change Default Browser on Mac with Each Browser Settings

No matter which browser you open, you will be asked whether to set it as default browser with a pop-up window. Once you confirm it, the browser will finish the left job automatically. Thus, you can change default browser to Chrome or Firefox on Mac easily. Later, you can install top add-ons to download YouTube videos and explore more features.

How to Set Google as Default Browser on Mac

Launch Google Chrome on Mac.
Click the Chrome icon on the top. Then select 'Preferences' from its list.
Go ahead to the 'Default Browser' section.
Click 'Make Default' to set Chrome as default browser on Mac.

How to Make Firefox as Default Browser on Mac

Run Firefox on Mac.
Choose 'Preferences' from the 'Firefox' drop-down menu.
Select 'General' in the left pane.
You can see 'Firefox isn't currently your default browser' in the page. Click 'Make Default' to change default browser on Mac with Firefox.

Bonus Tips: Delete Browsing History and Make Your Browser Run Fast

You can set Mac default browser as Chrome or Firefox via the above steps. If you decide to stop using one browser any more, you can uninstall the browser to free up more space. Be aware that dragging and dropping its icon to Trash is not enough. Others can still access your Safari cache and cookies.

To uninstall safari and delete related data on Mac thoroughly, Aiseesoft Mac Cleaner is your smart choice. You can clean up Safari data like search history, downloads, cookies and more in clicks. Of course, you can delete Google Chrome and Firefox data to protect privacy too. What's more, you can monitor system performance and get all junk files removed to speed up the browser on Mac easily.

  • Delete Safari/Chrome/Firefox data flexibly.
  • Uninstall Safari and any browser, as well as all related logs and files.
  • Get duplicate finder, similar image finder, shredder, extension manager and more cleanup tools.
  • Monitor Mac performance, such as disk utilization, battery status, memory performance and CPU usage.
  • Support all Mac computers running macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina, macOS 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11.
Launch Mac Cleaner. You can check Mac status in the 'Status' section. To set default browser on Mac without unnecessary files, you can click 'Cleaner' to access the built-in Mac cleaning tools.
Click 'Scan' to scan for all system caches, application caches and more. Later, click 'View' to have a check.
You can type the name of the browser in the built-in search engine. Press 'Enter' on keyboard to see all browser data. Click 'Clean' to delete the selected data.
If you want to get rid of Safari on Mac, you can choose 'Uninstall' in the 'Toolkit'. By the way, you can uninstall Safari and delete all related files with ease.
Google

As you can see, you can change default browser on Mac easily, no matter which operating system you are running. If you are tired of the certain browser, you can set Safari as default browser on Mac again. Whatever, you can clean up Mac and delete browser data with Aiseesoft Mac Cleaner regularly to keep faster running speed.

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The world's number 1 browser

Google Chrome is the most widely used web browser in the world. Users enjoy its fast loading speed, cross-device integration, and tabbed browsing. Google Chrome does not come installed as a standard on new Macs or PCs. Their native web browsers (Safari and Microsoft Edge, respectively) are automatically installed, forcing users to install Chrome themselves.

Seamless internet navigation

Chrome is an ideal browser to enjoy easy, coordinated online browsing across various devices.

Whether you have a new Mac or an older one, Google Chrome sets the bar high for web browsers. You want a browser that is safe, easy to use, syncs data and content across all your devices, and operates quickly. Google Chrome is the solution that over 63% of the world turns to and with good reason. Mac users have distinguished taste and as such, expect high quality in their hardware and software products. Google Chrome delivers this to Mac users with its low CPU usage, reliability, and overall browsing experience. It delivers a high-quality browsing experience to Mac users with its low CPU usage, reliability, tabbed browsing, cross-device syncing, and lighting fast loading speed.
Google Chrome for Mac has a laundry list of features, earning its spot as the top web browser of choice for both Mac and PC users. It offers thousands of extensions, available through the Chrome web store, providing Mac owners with even more functionality. Adobe Flash is also available when you install Chrome on your Mac. The overall appearance is professional and clean. Enjoy customized browser preferences including your homepage of choice, sync and Google services, Chrome name and picture, importing bookmarks and settings, autofill capabilities (passwords, payments, addresses, etc.), toolbars, font, page zoom, and startup settings. Chrome’s user interface is incredibly easy to navigate. Multi-tasking just got easier with tabbed browsing, which not only helps productivity, but looks clean and organized. Since Chrome can be downloaded on all of your devices (computers, phones, tablets), if you open a browser or perform a search on one device, Chrome will auto-sync that work stream on your other devices. If you look up a dinner recipe at work on your Mac but need the ingredient list at the grocery store? No problem - pull up the same tab within Chrome on your iPhone. Once you are home and ready to start cooking, just pull up the same Chrome recipe tab on your tablet. With the world moving faster than ever before, functionality like this can help make life a little easier.
Chrome’s password, contact information, and payment autofill capabilities are revolutionizing users’ online experience. Upon your consent, Chrome’s autofill feature will easily fill out your name, address, phone number, email address, passwords, and payment information. If it’s time to register your child for the soccer season but your wallet is downstairs, Google Chrome has your back, helping you easily fill in the data, so you can stay in your comfy chair. Chrome will only sync this data on your approved devices, so you can rest easy that your information is safe. CPU usage is immensely important when choosing a web browser. Keep your Mac’s CPU free by browsing with Google Chrome, maximizing overall system performance. Chrome for Mac is currently available in 47 languages. It can only be installed on Intel Macs, currently limiting its userbase. Mac users can manage how their browsing history is used to personalize search, ads, and more by navigating to their 'Sync Settings' within Chrome. Encryption options, auto-completion of searches and URLs, similar page suggestions, safe browsing, and enhanced spell check are also available within the settings tab, helping users feel more in control of their browsing experience. Users also have the option to 'help improve Chrome' by automatically sending usage statistics, crash reports, visited URLs, and system information to Google, or can easily opt out within Chrome’s settings.

Where can you run this program?

Google Chrome is available on MacOS X Yosemite 10.10 or later, Windows 7 or later, Android, and iOS devices. Chrome may successfully install on devices with lesser system requirements; however, Google only provides support on a system meeting the minimum system requirements.

Is there a better alternative?

For Mac users, Safari is the standard out-of-the-box browser installed on new devices. Most users prefer a web browser with better functionality than Safari. Chrome is harder on a Mac’s battery life than Apple’s native Safari browser. However, Chrome comes out ahead of Safari in terms of browsing speed, extensions, and video loading capabilities. Safari does have many of Chrome’s features such as tab syncing across devices and auto-filling based on previous searches. Mozilla Firefox is another commonly used web browser among Mac users, though its memory usage knocks it down on the list of competitors. The main draw to Mozilla Firefox over Chrome is that because Firefox is open source, nothing fishy is going on behind the scenes. Google is notorious for capturing and using data which rightfully makes people uncomfortable.

Our take

Mac users tend to do things their own way. You’ve opted for the non-mainstream computer hardware, so using the native installed Safari browser seems in character. Safari’s minimalist look draws Mac users in as well. Google Chrome is much more 'going along with the crowd'. Putting that aside, Mac owners should dig into what they really use their web browsers for, and determine if data privacy or features is more important to them. Better yet, why not have two browsers?

Microsoft

Should you download it?

Default

Yes. For Mac users, Google Chrome’s quick speed and helpful features makes it an excellent web browser choice. Google’s controversial collection of personal and usage data is sure to make some pause on whether to install Chrome or not. However, if you are comfortable or indifferent to Google’s data collection, go for it; the browser's overall functionality is impressive.

Highs

Google Chrome Default Browser Mac
  • Fast loading speed
  • Thousands of extensions available via the chrome web store
  • Tabbed browsing synced across devices
  • Convenient auto-fill

Make Google Default Browser Chrome Macbook

Lows

Change Default Browser Google Chrome Mac

  • Available on MacOS X Yosemite 10.10 or later
  • Google’s aggressive data collection practices

Google Chromefor Mac

Install Google Chrome As Default Browser

Default

Google Chrome Default Browser Mac

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