How to Set or Remove Microsoft Edge as Default Browser

To set Microsoft Edge as the default browser, open Settings > Apps > Default apps, select Microsoft Edge under Set defaults for applications, and select Set default. To remove Edge as the default, select the browser you want instead on the same page and select Set default for it; Windows has no separate “remove” button.

The steps below cover Windows 11 and Windows 10, setting Edge from inside the browser, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, PDFs, links that still open in Edge, and whether Edge can be uninstalled at all.

Set Microsoft Edge as the default browser on Windows 11

This is the route Microsoft documents in its Change Default Apps article.

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps.
2. Under Set defaults for applications, type Edge in the search box.
3. Select Microsoft Edge.
4. Next to Make Microsoft Edge your default browser, select Set default.
5. Open a web link from another app, such as a PDF or a chat message, to confirm it opens in Edge.

To jump straight to the page, press Windows + R, type ms-settings:defaultapps and press Enter.

Microsoft Edge default browser settings by device

Edge never stops being the default on its own. You always pick another browser, and that choice replaces it.

Your situation	Where to change it	Result
Windows 11, want Edge	Default apps > Microsoft Edge > Set default	Edge opens web links and saved web pages
Windows 11, want another browser	Default apps > your browser > Set default	Edge stops being the default
Windows 10, either direction	Default apps > Web browser	The browser you pick handles web links
Edge is open and asking	Edge Settings > Default browser > Make default	Starts the switch to Edge
Mac, iPhone, iPad or Android	The device’s own Settings app	One device-wide setting
Only PDFs open in Edge	Default apps search box, type .pdf	PDFs move; web links unchanged
Only Outlook or Teams links open in Edge	The link setting inside Outlook or Teams	Those apps follow your choice

How to make Edge the default browser from Edge settings

Edge has its own shortcut to the Windows setting, handy when the browser is already open.

1. Open Microsoft Edge and select the three dots (Settings and more) at the top right.
2. Select Settings > Default browser. You can also type edge://settings/defaultBrowser in the address bar.
3. Select Make default.
4. If Windows opens Default apps, select Set default next to Make Microsoft Edge your default browser.

How to remove Microsoft Edge as default browser on Windows 11

Install and open the replacement browser once first; a browser that hasn’t registered with Windows may be missing from the list.

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps.
2. Under Set defaults for applications, search for the browser, such as Chrome, Firefox or Brave, and select it.
3. Next to Make [browser] your default browser, select Set default.
4. Check the list of link and file types under that browser. If any still shows Microsoft Edge, select it and choose your browser.
5. Alternatively type a type such as https or .html in Set a default for a file type or link type, select the result and pick the new browser.

Outside the European Economic Area, Set default moves http, https, .htm and .html. The .pdf type stays with Edge until you change it on its own. Our Chrome default browser walkthrough shows the same switch from Chrome’s side.

Set or remove Edge as the default browser on Windows 10

Windows 10 uses a single Web browser entry. Choosing Edge there sets it; choosing anything else removes it.

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps. On the original Windows 10 release the page sits under System > Default apps.
2. Under Web browser, select the browser currently listed.
3. Select Microsoft Edge to set it, or another browser to remove Edge.
4. Open a web link from another app to confirm.

The same steps are covered more broadly in our guide to changing the default web browser on Windows 11 and 10.

Set or remove Edge as default on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android

Each platform has one device-wide browser setting. The same screen sets Edge or replaces it. Edge has to be installed from the App Store or Google Play before it shows in these lists.

Device	Set Edge	Remove Edge
Mac	Apple menu > System Settings (or System Preferences) > Desktop & Dock, then choose Microsoft Edge as the default web browser	Choose Safari or another browser in the same list
iPhone or iPad	Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Browser App > Microsoft Edge	Pick Safari or another browser under Browser App
Android	Settings > Apps > Default apps (or Choose default apps) > Browser app > Edge	Pick Chrome or another browser under Browser app

How to import favorites and passwords into Microsoft Edge

Making Edge the default doesn’t move your bookmarks. Microsoft’s import tool copies them, plus passwords and settings, from another browser.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Select Settings and more (…) > Settings.
3. Select Profiles > Import browser data.
4. Choose the browser to import from, then select Import.

Why remove Microsoft Edge as default browser?

Microsoft positions Edge as built on Chromium with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, tracking prevention, sleeping tabs and sync across devices. People usually switch away because they already keep their bookmarks, passwords and extensions in another browser. Either choice is safe; just set it deliberately so Windows stops prompting.

Keep Edge as default if	Pick another browser if
You sign in with a Microsoft account and use Microsoft 365 on the web	Your passwords and bookmarks live in Chrome, Firefox or another browser
You want SmartScreen and tracking prevention without extra setup	You rely on extensions or sync that only your other browser has
A work PC is managed around Edge	You want one browser across non-Microsoft devices

Stop PDFs from opening in Microsoft Edge

PDF files have their own default, separate from web links, so changing the browser leaves .pdf with Edge.

1. Install the PDF reader you want.
2. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
3. Type .pdf in Set a default for a file type or link type.
4. Select the result showing Microsoft Edge, pick the new app and confirm.
5. Double-click a PDF in File Explorer to check.

For Adobe’s reader specifically, see how to open PDF files with Acrobat Reader instead of Edge.

How to unpin Microsoft Edge from the taskbar

Edge stays installed, so its icons remain. Unpinning hides them without affecting Windows features that rely on Edge.

1. Right-click the Edge icon on the taskbar and select Unpin from taskbar.
2. Open Start, right-click Microsoft Edge and select Unpin from Start.

In the European Economic Area, Set default pins the new browser to the taskbar and Start unless you clear its checkboxes on the Default apps page.

How to check your default browser in Windows 11

1. On Windows 11, open Default apps and select your browser under Set defaults for applications.
2. Confirm HTTP, HTTPS, .htm and .html each list it; anything still showing Edge hasn’t moved.
3. On Windows 10, read the name under Web browser.
4. Double-click a saved .html file and see which browser opens.

What does default browser mean in Windows?

The default browser is a set of link and file type assignments, not one switch, which is why Edge can keep some of them.

Assignment	Outside the EEA	Inside the EEA
Link types moved by Set default	http, https	ftp, http, https, read
File types moved by Set default	.htm, .html	.htm, .html, .mht, .mhtml, .shtml, .svg, .xht, .xhtml, .xml, if the browser registers them
.pdf	Changed separately	Separate one-click option where the browser registers .pdf
Taskbar pin	No automatic pin	New default pinned unless you clear the boxes
Windows Search web results and Widgets	Can open in Edge	Open in your default browser

How to change the search engine and home page in Edge

If you keep Edge but dislike Bing or the new tab page, change both inside Edge. A search engine only appears in the list after you’ve run one search with it from the address bar.

1. Run one search on your preferred engine from Edge’s address bar.
2. Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search.
3. Choose the engine under Search engine used in the address bar.
4. Open Settings > Start, home, and new tabs and choose what opens at startup and on the home button.

Microsoft Edge still opens after changing the default browser

Outlook or Teams opens links in Edge

Both apps have their own link setting.

1. New Outlook: Settings > General > Files and links > Open hyperlinks from Outlook in.
2. Classic Outlook: File > Options > Advanced > File and browser preferences.
3. Teams: Settings > Files and links > Link open preferences.

Windows Search or Widgets opens Edge

Outside the EEA, these can open Edge by design and Settings has no switch for it. Inside the EEA they follow your default; set it again if they don’t.

Saved .html files open in Edge

1. In Default apps, type .html in the file type search box and select the result.
2. Pick your browser, then repeat for .htm, http and https.

The default keeps changing back to Edge

Accepting Edge’s own prompt, or a policy on a work PC, can reassign it.

1. Decline Edge’s prompt to become the default.
2. Set your browser again and check all four web types.
3. If it reverts at every sign-in on a managed PC, ask IT: the Set a default associations configuration file policy controls it.

If Edge itself misbehaves rather than just opening too often, our list of fixes for Edge not working is the place to start.

Can you uninstall Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft treats Edge as an essential Windows component that can’t be uninstalled. The exception is the European Economic Area, where Edge can be removed from Settings > Apps > Installed apps on Windows 11 23H2 and Windows 10 22H2 or later. Our guide on removing Microsoft Edge covers that route.

Practice	Why
Switch the default instead of deleting Edge	Windows relies on the web platform Edge provides
Avoid unofficial removal scripts and redirect tools	Outside the EEA there’s no supported way to remove Edge
Set .pdf and Outlook or Teams links separately	They don’t follow the browser switch
Decline default prompts from browsers you don’t want	Accepting one moves the web types again

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove Microsoft Edge from default settings?

Open Settings > Apps > Default apps, select the browser you want instead, and select Set default. Windows has no button that only removes Edge; choosing another browser replaces it. Then change .pdf and the Outlook link setting if those still open Edge.

How do I stop using Microsoft Edge without uninstalling it?

Set another browser as the default in Settings > Apps > Default apps, move .pdf to a different app, and unpin Edge from the taskbar and Start. Edge stays installed and updated, but you no longer see it or land in it from links.

How do I make Microsoft Edge my default browser again?

Open Settings > Apps > Default apps > Microsoft Edge and select Set default next to Make Microsoft Edge your default browser. Inside Edge, you can also go to Settings and more > Settings > Default browser and select Make default.

How do I set Edge as the default browser on iPhone?

Install Edge from the App Store and update iOS. Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Default Apps, tap Browser App, and choose Edge. To remove it, return to Browser App and choose Safari or another browser.

How do I set Edge as the default browser on Android?

Install Edge from Google Play, open Settings, tap Apps, and under General tap Default apps or Choose default apps. Tap Browser app and select Edge. Select a different browser on the same screen to remove it.