How to Change Chrome as Default Browser

Google Chrome stands first in the list of most installed browsers across the world. This is not by luck or by mistake. It deserves its recognition since it is the easiest to use browser version with an outstanding interface. Due to several reasons, Windows 10 users prefer to change Chrome as default browser. Many Windows 10 computers come with Microsoft Edge as default browser, yet they may waste your valuable time due to a delay in response. If you are not aware of how to set Chrome as default browser Windows 10, this guide will be your perfect choice. This guide will help you make Chrome your default browser on your Windows 10 PC. So, what are you waiting for? Continue reading the article.

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How to Change Chrome as Default Browser

Before you go further to learn how to change Chrome as default browser, you must have Google Chrome installed on your PC. You can install Chrome from Google’s website and make sure it is updated to its latest version. The steps to do so vary according to the Operating System you use.

But why do you want to know how to set Google as default browser Windows 10? Here are a few valid reasons.

Best convincing features when compared to other browsers.
All the saved data like browsing history, bookmarks, addresses, passwords can be recovered on a new device if synced with your account. Even when you update your Windows PC to another version (from Windows 10 to 11), all the data can be recovered easily.
Incredible browsing speed than others. It delivers search results within 0.19 seconds.
Add-ons and extensions support.
Regular update releases make browser out of bugs and problems.
Wide scope of security and data privacy.
You can search the latest news, latest sites, and any new sites quickly.
A much more sophisticated algorithm gives incredible digital behavior.
Market share and wide branding services make it the dominant company.
Amazing Google partner and customer service support.

You have come to the best part of the article. In this section, you will learn how to set Chrome as default browser Windows 10. There are multiple methods to change Chrome as default browser. All of them are listed below for your better understanding.

Method 1: Through Settings

This is the simplest way to make Chrome your default browser. You can simply launch Settings on your Windows 10 computer and then change the defaults apps in the upcoming sections. Here are more elaborated steps.

1. Press and hold Windows + I keys together to open Windows Settings.

2. Now, click on Apps.

3. Then, switch to the Default apps section in the left pane. Scroll down the right-screen and navigate to the Web browser menu.

4. Then, click on the dropdown option of the Web browser menu and select Google Chrome in the Choose an app pop-up menu as shown.

Note: If you want to open Chrome easily, add a shortcut in your Taskbar. Launch Chrome. In the Windows Taskbar, right-click on Chrome and then select Pin to taskbar as shown.

Method 2: Through Control Panel

How to set Google as default browser Windows 10? You can make this change in your Control Panel. There is a section where you can add or set default programs from its settings. If you make any changes in the control panel settings, it will be automatically reflected for all applications. Follow as instructed.

1. Hit the Windows key and type Control Panel and click on Open.

2. Set View by as Category. Click on Programs as shown.

3. Now, click on Default Programs as shown.

4. Then, click on the Set your default programs link as highlighted.

5. In the Settings window, scroll down the right screen to the Web browser menu.

6. Now, click on the dropdown option for Web browser and select Google Chrome in the following drop-down list of Choose an app.

Also Read: How to Fix DHCP Lookup Failed Error in Chromebook

Method 3: Through Browser Settings

If you face any difficulties to change Chrome as default browser from System Settings, here is an alternative way of changing it from browser settings. Here are a few instructions to do it.

1. Type Chrome in the search menu and click on Open as shown.

2. Then, click on the three-dotted icon at the top right corner.

3. Select the Settings option from the drop-down list as highlighted below.

4. Now, click on the Default browser menu in the left pane as shown.

5. Then, in the right pane, click on the Make default button as shown.

6. In the Settings window, click on the dropdown option of the Web browser section.

7. Now, select Google Chrome from the Choose an app drop-down list.

Hence, this is how to change Chrome as default browser via browser settings.

Method 4: Through Command Prompt

You can also set Chrome as default browser by executing a command in the command prompt. Here are a few instructions.

1. Hit the Windows key and type Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator.

2. Click Yes in the User Account Control prompt.

3. Then, type the following command and hit Enter key.

explorer.exe shell:::{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966} -Microsoft.DefaultPrograms\pageDefaultProgram

4. In the Settings window, click on the dropdown option of the Web browser section.

5. Select Google Chrome in the drop-down list of Choose an app.

Also Read: Fix NET::ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED in Chrome

Why Can’t I Change Chrome as Default Browser?

If you cannot make Chrome your default browser after trying all these methods on how to set Chrome as default browser Windows 10, here are some methods that will help you fix the problem. Follow the same and check if you can make the change.

Option 1: Update Chrome

Outdated browsers might not support improvised versions of webpages and thus prevent you from changing the default web browsers. To fix the bugs and problems, update Google Chrome as instructed below.

1. Open Google Chrome from Windows search menu.

2. You can also type chrome://settings/help to launch the About Chrome page directly.

3A. If Google Chrome is updated to its latest version, then it will show Chrome is up to date.

3B. If a new update is available, the browser will automatically update the browser to the latest version. Click Relaunch to restart the browser.

4. Finally, relaunch the browser with its latest version.

Option 2: Delete Cache & Cookies

The temporary cache and cookies in your browser store your browsing data. If there is any suspicious data stored locally, or if the data is corrupt or incompatible, you may not set Chrome as your default browser. Hence, clear the browsing data, cache, and collected cookies to fix the problem.

1. Launch the Chrome browser.

Note: You can directly navigate the page to delete browsing history in Chrome by typing chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in the search bar.

2. Now, click on the three-dotted icon at the top right corner.

3. Here, click on the More tools option as depicted below.

4. Next, click on Clear browsing data…

5. Select All Time if you want to delete the entire data and click on Clear data.

Note: Ensure that the Cookies and other site data box and Cached images and files box are checked before clearing the data from the browser.

Also Read: How to Go Full-Screen in Google Chrome

Option 3: Reset Chrome

Resetting Chrome will restore the browser to its default settings, and there are more chances that you can change your default browser. Follow the below-mentioned steps to reset Google Chrome.

1. Launch Google Chrome and click on the three-dotted icon as said in the above method.

Note: You can also type chrome://settings/reset to launch the Reset Chrome page.

2. Now, select the Settings option.

3. Here, click on the Advanced setting in the left pane and select the Reset and clean up option.

4. Now, select the Restore settings to their original defaults option as depicted below.

5. Now, confirm the prompt by selecting the Reset settings button as depicted.

6. Now, relaunch the Settings and make the change.

Option 4: Switch to New Chrome Profile

If there are any conflicts in your Chrome profile, you cannot set Chrome as default browser. Try creating a new profile and check if you can do so.

1. Launch the Chrome browser and click on your Profile icon.

2. Now, select the gear icon in the Other people menu, as shown in the below picture.

3. Now, click on the Add icon.

4. Click Continue without an account.

Note: Click Sign in to log in using your Gmail account.

5. Here, customize your profile by adding your desired name, profile picture, and theme color.

6. Now, click on Done, as shown in the below picture.

Note: If you do not want a desktop shortcut for this user, uncheck the Create a desktop shortcut for this user box.

Also Read: Fix Multiple Google Chrome Processes Running

Option 5: Create a New User Profile

Deleting your user profile will remove all the corrupt programs and files associated with your account. Here are a few steps to delete your User Profile and recreate it on your PC.

1. Type Command Prompt in the search bar and hit Enter. Then, click on Run as administrator, as shown below.

2. Then, type control userpasswords2 command and hit Enter key.

3. In the User Accounts window, click on Add… button in the Users tab.

4. Choose Sign in without a Microsoft account (not recommended) option and click on Next.

5. Then, click on the Local account button.

6. Enter your login credentials, namely User name & Password. Retype the password in Confirm password field and leave a Password hint too. Then, click on Next.

7. Follow the on-screen instructions. Lastly, click on Finish to create a local account.

8. Now, select the Properties option.

9. Under the Group Membership tab, choose the Administrator option.

10. Click Apply and then OK to save changes.

11. Now, navigate to your old user profile. C: > Users > Old_Account.

Note: Here, C: is the drive where you have installed your Windows version, and Old_Account is your old user account.

12. Press Ctrl + C keys together to copy all the files in the folder except:

Ntuser.dat.log
Ntuser.ini
Ntuser.dat

13. Now, navigate to your new user profile. C: > Users > New_Account.

Note: Here, C: is the drive where you have installed your new Windows version, and New_Account is your new user account.

14. Press Ctrl + V keys together to paste all the files into your new user account.

15. Next, launch Control Panel from the search menu, as shown.

16. Set View by option to Large icons and click on User Accounts.

17. Next, click on Manage Another Account, as shown.

18. Select the old user account and click on the Delete the account option, as highlighted below.

19. Now, sign in with your new account, and you can make Chrome as default browser.

Also Read: Fix Chrome not Connecting to the Internet

Pro Tip: How to Delete Existing User Profile

To delete the pre-existing user profile, follow the below instructions.

1. Again, click on your profile icon followed by the gear icon.

2. Hover over the user profile which wanted to be deleted and click on the three-dotted icon.

3. Now, select the Delete option as depicted below.

4. Now, you will receive a prompt displaying, This will permanently delete your browsing data from this device. Proceed on by clicking Delete.

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We hope that this guide was helpful and you have learned to change Chrome as default browser. Let us know which method worked for you the best. Feel free to reach out to us with your queries and suggestions via the comments section below. Let us know what you want to learn next.

How to Change Chrome as Default Browser