Modern smartphones Samsung Galaxy come with a variety of pre-installed applications, among which Samsung Internet browser occupies a special place. For many users it is convenient, but others prefer the usual ecosystem Google Chrome, Firefox or Opera. The problem arises when links from instant messengers or mail stubbornly open in a standard browser, ignoring your preferences.
It is not difficult to change this situation, but the settings menu in the shell One UI may vary from model to model. In this article we will analyze in detail the assignment process default browser on different versions of Android and One UI. You will learn how to bypass system restrictions and make the browser of your choice the main tool for surfing the Internet.
Before making changes, make sure that an alternative browser is already installed on your device via Google Play Store or Galaxy Store. The Android system simply will not allow you to select an application that is not physically on the drive. This is a basic requirement, without which further settings are impossible.
Preparing the device and installing an alternative
The first step is to have the application itself. If you want to use Google Chromeit is most likely already on the system, but can be disabled. In the case of Yandex Browser, Microsoft Edge or DuckDuckGo, you need to download them yourself. Go to the application store and install.
After downloading, it is important to launch the new application once. When you first start, many browsers themselves offer to become the default app. This simplifies the task, but we will consider the manual method, which is guaranteed to work on all versions One UI. Manual configuration gives you full control over which apps open which types of files.
⚠️ Warning: Some enterprise profiles or Knox modes may limit the ability to change default apps for security reasons. If menu items are inactive, check the device policies.
Make sure you have access rights to system settings. A regular user account has all the necessary privileges to change browsers. No root access or bootloader unlocking for this operation is required.
☑️ Preparing to change browser
Search for the “Default Applications” section in One UI
Settings interface in smartphones Samsung logical, but the names of the items may differ slightly depending on the Android version (11, 12, 13 or 14). The main task is to find the global application management section. Typically the path looks like this: go to Settings and scroll down the list.
You need a section Applications. This is where all the data about installed apps, their permissions and behavior is stored. Inside this menu you need to look for a subsection responsible for selecting apps for specific actions. In older firmware versions, this item might have a different name, but the logic remained the same.
Find the item Selecting default apps. It may be located at the very top of the list or hidden under the “More” button (three dots) in the upper right corner of the screen. If you don't see it right away, carefully look at the top of the Apps section of the screen.
If you can't find what you're looking for, use the search bar at the very top of the Settings menu. Enter the phrase “by default”, and the system itself will redirect you to the desired section.
In the list that opens you will see the categories: “Assistant”, “Home”, “Phone” and, of course, Browser. The current value will be displayed next to the category name. Most often, the default value is Samsung Internet. Clicking on this line will open a list of available options.
Step-by-step guide for changing the browser
Once you are in the selection menu, the system will offer a list of all installed browsers that can process web links. Select the option you need, for example Chrome or Opera. The system will instantly apply the setting, and the icon next to the item will change.
Now check the result. Open any messenger, for example Telegram or Viber, and click on any hyperlink. It should open in a new window in your browser of choice. If the link opened in an old application, it may have had individual settings that need to be reset.
- 🌐 Open
Settingsyour Samsung smartphone. - 📱 Go to the section Applications.
- ⚙️ Click on the item
Select default applications. - 🦊 In the "Browser" line, select the desired application from the list.
Sometimes the system may ask you to confirm the action, especially if you change the browser to one that has never been used as a primary one before. Just confirm your choice. As a rule, no reboots of the device are required after this.
Resetting the settings of a specific application
There are situations when The global setting has been changed, but the links still open in the old browser. This happens if the “Always open in Samsung Internet” rule was previously set for a specific application (for example, mail or instant messenger). This priority rule overrides the general system setting.
To fix this, you need to clear the default settings for the application that opens links incorrectly. Go to Settings → Applications and find in the list the messenger or app where the problem occurs. For example, this could be Gmail or Viber.
Inside the application card, find the section Open by default. There you will see a button Delete default settings or switch that you need to turn off. After that, the next time you click on the link, the system will ask you how to open the file and allow you to select a new browser.
| Action | Where to look | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Changing the global browser | Settings → Applications → Default selection | All links open in a new browser |
| Resetting application rules | Settings → Applications → [Application name] → Open by default | The system will ask you to select the next time you click |
| Disable Samsung Internet | Settings → Applications → Samsung Internet → Disable | The browser will disappear from the list of possible options |
This procedure ensures that no application will forcibly redirect you to an unnecessary browser. You get full control over the data flow on your device.
Features of working with Samsung Internet
The browser from Samsung is deeply integrated into the shell One UI. It supports features not available to others, such as Secret Mode tracking protection using biometrics. However, if you decide to abandon it, it is worth knowing how to completely disable it so that it does not interfere.
You cannot remove Samsung Internet completely without complex manipulations with ADB, since it is a system application. But you can Disable. In the application menu, press the button Disable. After this, the icon will disappear from the desktop, and the system will no longer offer it as a default option.
Is it possible to remove Samsung Internet completely?
Without obtaining root access or using a computer with USB debugging, remove the system application it is impossible. The “Delete” button will be inactive. However, disabling it makes it invisible to the user and saves RAM, since browser processes will not load in the background.
If in the future you want to return to the native browser, just go to the application settings, find “Disabled” in the filter and activate Samsung Internet again. All your bookmarks and history will be saved unless you cleared the application data manually.
⚠️ Attention: Disabling the system browser may affect the operation of the “News” or “Google Discover” widgets on the home screen if they are based on the Samsung engine. In this case, simply turn the application back on.
Solving common problems and errors
Sometimes users are faced with the fact that after changing the browser, links open in a “blank” window or the system displays an error. This may be due to the fact that the new browser does not have permission to access the Internet or has not registered itself as a handler of links like http i https.
Go to the settings of the problematic browser and check the Permissionssection. Make sure network access is active. Also, in the “Open by default” section inside the settings of the browser itself (not the system, but the application), there should be a checkbox “Open supported links.”
- 🔒 Check Internet access permissions in the application settings.
- 🔄 Clear the cache of the new browser through the menu applications.
- ⚙️ Make sure that link processing is enabled in your browser settings.
In rare cases, completely reinstalling an alternative browser helps. Uninstall it, restart your smartphone and install it again. This will update the system registries of file associations.
The main cause of problems with changing browsers is a conflict of priorities in the settings of the specific application that is the source of the link (messenger), and not in global system settings.
The influence of the Android version on the setup process
The process may differ slightly on Android 10, 11, 12 and newer. In more recent versions One UI based on Android 13 and 14, Google has tightened security requirements, adding warnings when changing browsers. The system may display a pop-up window asking “Are you sure?”, warning of possible data or security loss.
On older devices that have not received updates to the latest versions of Android, the menu may be located in the Application Managersection. The logic of the actions remains the same, but the visual design will differ from modern Material You standards.
⚠️ Attention: The settings interface may change depending on the region where the device is sold and the firmware version. If the described path does not match, use the settings search.
Regardless of the version, the key element remains searching for the line with the word “Default”. This term is a standard for the entire Android ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to set a browser that was not downloaded from the Play Market as the default?
Yes, it is possible. Android allows any installed APK file to be designated as the default browser, as long as the app has correctly registered its intents for handling web links. However, the system can warn about the danger of installation from unknown sources.
Why do weather or news widgets not work after changing the browser?
Some widgets on Samsung screens are strictly tied to the Samsung Internet engine. If you have disabled this browser, widgets may stop updating. The solution is to turn the browser back on or use alternative widgets from Google.
Is the setting reset after rebooting the phone?
No, the default browser selection is permanently saved in the system registry. It does not reset when you reboot, update apps, or turn off the power. The reset will only happen if you manually clear the default application settings or perform a full device reset to factory settings.
How to return all application settings to their original state?
In the menu Settings → Applications click on the three dots in the upper corner and select Reset application settings. This will return all permissions and “default” selections to the factory state, and the phone will again ask you what to open links with.
Does the choice of browser affect the speed of the smartphone?
Indirectly yes. Some browsers are more optimized for the Exynos or Snapdragon processors used by Samsung. Heavy browsers with many background processes can consume more RAM, which affects overall system performance when multitasking.