How to Set Google Chrome as the Default Browser in Windows 10

To set Google Chrome as your default browser in Windows 10, open Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps, click the browser listed under Web browser, and choose Google Chrome. From then on, links you click in email, documents, and other apps open in Chrome.

You can also start the change from inside Chrome, and if some links still open in another browser, you can assign Chrome to specific file types and link types. This guide covers all three, plus fixes for when the setting won’t stick.

Quick Answer

1. Select Start > Settings.
2. Go to Apps > Default apps (on some older builds, System > Default apps).
3. Under Web browser, click your current browser.
4. Choose Google Chrome from the list.

In This Guide

• What you need and what “default browser” means
• Method 1: Use Windows Settings
• Method 2: Start from Chrome’s settings
• Method 3: Set Chrome for file and link types
• Which method should you use?
• Troubleshooting
• Frequently Asked Questions

What You Need and What “Default Browser” Means

Your default browser is the one Windows opens automatically when you click a web link outside a browser, for example in an email, a PDF, a chat app, or a shortcut on your desktop. Setting Chrome as the default doesn’t remove Microsoft Edge or any other browser; it only changes which one opens those links.

This guide covers Windows 10 as of September 2026. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) now run until October 12, 2027. The steps below still work on Windows 10, and a short note on Windows 11 is in the FAQ.

You need:

• Google Chrome installed. If it isn’t, download it from Google’s official Chrome page and install it. Chrome won’t appear in the Windows browser list until it’s installed.
• Your own Windows account. Default apps are set per user, so each person who signs in to the PC chooses their own default browser.
• A personal PC, ideally. On a work or school computer, an administrator may control the default browser, and your choice may be overridden.

Method 1: Set Chrome as Default in Windows Settings

This is the main method, and Google’s own Make Chrome your default browser help page describes it for Windows 10.

1. Open Settings. Select the Start button, then the gear icon for Settings. You can also press the Windows key and I together. Expected result: The Windows Settings window opens.
2. Open Default apps. Select Apps, then Default apps in the left pane. On some older versions of Windows 10, it’s under System > Default apps instead. Expected result: You see a list of categories such as Email, Maps, Music player, Photo viewer, Video player, and Web browser.
3. Find Web browser. Scroll down to the Web browser heading. The browser currently set as default, often Microsoft Edge, is shown under it.
4. Click the current browser. Select the browser name under Web browser. Expected result: A list pops up showing the browsers installed on your PC.
5. Choose Chrome. Select Google Chrome. If Windows shows a prompt suggesting you keep Microsoft Edge, choose the option to switch anyway. Expected result: Google Chrome now appears under Web browser.
6. Test it. Open an email or a document with a link in it and click the link. Expected result: The page opens in Chrome.

For a broader look at switching browsers, including browsers other than Chrome, see our guide on how to change the default browser on Windows.

Method 2: Start From Chrome’s Settings

Chrome has its own default browser option. On Windows 10, it doesn’t change the setting silently; it opens the Windows Default apps page so you can confirm the change there, which is a safeguard built into Windows.

1. Open Chrome.
2. Open the menu. Click the three-dot More menu in the top right corner of the window.
3. Go to Settings. Click Settings, then select Default browser in the left sidebar.
4. Click Make default. Expected result: Windows Settings opens on the Default apps page.
5. Finish in Windows. Under Web browser, click the current browser and choose Google Chrome, as in Method 1.
6. Check Chrome again. Return to Chrome’s Default browser settings. Expected result: Chrome says it’s your default browser.

If you don’t see a Make default button, Google notes that Chrome is already your default browser. Chrome may also show a bar at the top of a new window asking whether you want to make it the default; clicking the button in that bar takes you to the same Windows page. Labels can vary slightly between Chrome versions.

Method 3: Set Chrome for File Types and Link Types

Choosing a web browser in Method 1 covers normal web links. Windows also tracks defaults for individual file types, such as .htm and .html (saved web pages), and for link types, called protocols, such as HTTP and HTTPS. If some links or saved pages still open in another browser, set Chrome for those items directly. Microsoft explains this in Change default apps in Windows.

1. Open Default apps. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps.
2. Scroll to the bottom. Look for links such as Choose default apps by file type, Choose default apps by protocol, and Set defaults by app. The exact wording can vary by Windows 10 version.
3. Set link types. Open the protocol option, find HTTP and HTTPS, click the app shown next to each, and choose Google Chrome.
4. Set file types. Open the file type option, find .htm and .html, and set each to Google Chrome. Optionally do the same for .shtml, .xht, and .xhtml if you use them. Leave .pdf alone unless you want Chrome to open PDF files too.
5. Or set everything at once. The Set defaults by app option lets you pick Google Chrome and then choose Manage to see and change each file and link type Chrome can open.

Expected result: Saved web pages and links of every type now open in Chrome.

Older guides mention a Control Panel route (Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs). On current Windows 10 builds, that page generally sends you back to the Settings app, so it’s simplest to start in Settings.

Which Method Should You Use?

Situation	Use	Why
First time setting Chrome as default	Method 1	Direct, and covers ordinary web links
You’re already in Chrome and it prompts you	Method 2	Chrome opens the right Windows page for you
Some links or .html files still open in Edge	Method 3	Fixes individual file and link types that were missed
Work or school PC	Ask your IT team	An administrator policy may override your choice

Troubleshooting

Chrome isn’t in the list of browsers

Chrome needs to be installed, not just downloaded. Run the installer again from google.com/chrome, then reopen Settings. If it’s installed but still missing, restart the PC and check again.

Links from the Start menu or widgets still open in Edge

Some Windows features, such as web results in Windows Search, may open in Microsoft Edge regardless of your default browser setting. Links you click in your own apps, emails, and documents should use Chrome. If they don’t, repeat Method 3 for HTTP and HTTPS.

The default keeps changing back

• Check for a pending Windows update, install it, restart, and set Chrome again. Major updates have been known to prompt users about their defaults.
• Make sure you’re changing the setting while signed in to the Windows account you actually use.
• On a work or school PC, a management policy may reset it. Ask your administrator.
• Keep Chrome up to date: open the More menu, then Help > About Google Chrome.

Chrome opens but uses Bing for searches

That’s a separate setting inside Chrome, not your default browser. See our guide on removing Bing from Chrome on Windows 10.

The “Make default” button does nothing

Look for a Settings window that opened behind Chrome, since that’s where you confirm the change. If nothing opens, use Method 1 directly.

Related: Change the default browser in Windows 11.

Related: Set Google as your default browser in Windows 11.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does setting Chrome as default uninstall Microsoft Edge?

No. Edge stays installed and you can still open it anytime. Windows only changes which browser opens links automatically.

Is Windows 10 still safe to use with Chrome?

Windows 10 no longer gets free security updates, so if you keep using it, consider enrolling in Extended Security Updates if your PC is eligible. Keeping both Windows and Chrome updated matters more than which browser is your default.

How do I do this on Windows 11?

On Windows 11, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, search for and select Google Chrome, then select Set default next to “Make Google Chrome your default browser.”

Do I need administrator rights?

Usually not. Default apps are a per-user setting on a personal PC. On a managed work or school device, your administrator may restrict it.

How do I switch back to Edge later?

Repeat Method 1 and choose Microsoft Edge under Web browser instead.

Why does Windows ask if I’m sure?

Windows sometimes shows a prompt suggesting you keep Edge. It’s informational; choosing to switch completes the change.

Summary

1. Install Chrome if it isn’t already on your PC.
2. Open Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps.
3. Under Web browser, click your current browser and choose Google Chrome.
4. If some links still open elsewhere, set Chrome for HTTP, HTTPS, .htm, and .html.
5. Test by clicking a link in an email or document.

Next step: open Settings now, set Chrome under Web browser, and click a link in your email to confirm it opens in Chrome.