Make Firefox your default browser on Windows

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  • Revision id: 243331
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  • Creator: Chris Ilias
  • Comment: Replace screenshots with ones that are easy to differentiate, remove ellipsis from button labels, and simplify first section
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  • Reviewed by: Chris_Ilias
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This article explains how to change your default Web browser to Firefox on Windows 10 or Windows 11. For other operating systems, see Make Firefox your default browser.

Make Firefox your default browser in Firefox Settings

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. In the General panel, look under the Startup section.
  3. Click the Make Default button.
    Firefox90GeneralPanelfx99-MakeDefault
Note: If Firefox is already your default browser, the button will be missing and it will say that Firefox is currently your default browser.
Firefox90NowDefaultfx99-CurrentlyDefault

If Firefox was not able to change your default browser, it will open the Windows Settings app, with the Default apps panel already open.

Manually change your default browser to Firefox in Windows Settings (Windows 10)

  1. Open the Default apps panel in Windows Settings, if it isn't already open. (In the Windows Start menu, click the Settings icon, click Apps and click Default apps.)
    Windows10SettingsAppL
  2. In the Web browser section of the Default apps panel, click on the browser that is currently listed.
    Windows10SettingsBrowserSectionL
  3. In the Choose an app panel, click on Firefox to set it as the default browser.
    Windows10ChooseApp
  4. In the Web browser section, you will see that Windows 10 has Firefox set as the default browser.
    Windows10BrowserChanged

Manually change your default browser to Firefox in Windows Settings (Windows 11)

To make Firefox your default Web browser on Windows 11, you will need to change the default application for a number of file types and protocols:

  1. Open the Default apps panel in Windows Settings (if it isn't already open):
    1. Click Settings in the Windows taskbar.
    2. Click Apps from the options to the left.
    3. Click Default apps.
  2. Find Firefox in the list that appears and click on it.
    • A list of file types will be shown under Set default file types or link types.
    Win11Default
  3. Click on a file type (for example, .htm) to change the default program that opens and set it to Firefox.
  4. Do the same for each of the other file types you want to open in Firefox.
Note: Most common file types and protocols opened with the default browser include .htm, .xhtm, .html, .shtml, .webp, .pdf, MAILTO, HTTP and HTTPS.