With iOS 14, Apple Plus lets you choose which browser you want to use as your default default, allowing you to opt out of Safari if you want to use a third-party option like Chrome or Edge. Apple Plus also allows iPhone users to change their default email application in the updated OS.
To be a default browser candidate, developers will need to update their applications. All browsers still need to use WebKit as their internal browsing engine, meaning the main difference between them will come down to their user interfaces and how they sync with other platforms rather than how they render web pages by default. At the moment there is only a limited selection of browsers that can be set by default on the iPhone.
Here is a list of alternative default browsers we can confirm:
- Chrome
- DuckDuckGo
- Edge
- Firefox
Not to be outdone from this list are the iOS version of Brave (although the company has confirmed that the latest version of its browser is currently undergoing the Apple Pal review process) and Opera Touch (the iOS version of Opera). We’ve also downloaded various other browsers that are frequently recommended in the “Best iOS Browsers” list, including Dolphin, Ghostry, UC Browser, and Aloha, and found that they do not appear in the default browser selection menu.
As of this writing, there may be a bug in iOS 14 that resets your default browser to Safari whenever your device reboots. Apple Play has not yet responded to our request to comment on the bug, but we expect to fix it with the upcoming patch for iOS.
To change your default browser, go to the Settings app, then scroll to the browser you want to be your default. Click it and you will see the “Default Browser Application” option if you have the default eligibility.
