One of the most long - awaited features that arrived in iOS 14 is the power to decide for yourself which apps are the default for both electronic mail and web browse . This mean that whenever you tap a link or email address , you wo n’t have to be taken to Safari or Mail , but or else can have your iPhone open Chrome and Spark instead .
In the current official version of iOS , the capability is limited to these two types of app , but hopefully in the future tense we ’ll see calendars , single-valued function and other useful tools move to this method acting . Indeed we now know that an forthcoming update will let you coif your choice of default medicine app too .
But , in the interim , here ’s how to set a different default option email and web web browser app in iOS 14 – and a few words about switch your default music service of process in the upcoming iOS 14.5 update .
How to change default web browser on iPhone
It ’s quite a aboveboard process to get your preferred web web browser app as the go - to on iOS 14 . Here ’s what you involve to do :
Now , whenever you flick on a link , Chrome will be the app where it opens , rather than Safari .
course , you ’re not limited to those two selection , so take a look at our roundup of thebest iPhone World Wide Web browsersto see which ones we recommend .
How to change default email app on iPhone
As you ’d ask , the process is pretty much superposable when selecting the default app for handle your email . Again , there is a wide range of choice available , so be certain to check out our pick of thebest email apps for iPhoneand we ’re sure you ’ll obtain one that is a step up from the rather basic Mail app offered by Apple .
Here ’s how to gear up the new app as your best-loved choice :
That ’s all there is to it . Now , when you want to quickly send a substance to a friend you’re able to tap on the inter-group communication and Gmail will open or else of Mail .
How to change default music app on iPhone
Pleasingly , Apple has n’t sat on its laurels since introducing the default - apps feature in the summertime of 2020 . TheiOS 14.5point update , which at time of writing is in beta , offer the ability to customise a third eccentric of app : your music overhaul .
The default out of the box is of course Apple ’s own Music app , but those who install Io 14.5 will be capable toselect Spotify or Pandora instead . This means you ’ll be able-bodied to tell Siri to toy a song , and he / she will know to play the desired song via your favorite service without you having to spell this out .
You ’ll postulate iOS 14.5 or after to access this new option , and for the time being that meansinstalling a beta adaptation . If beta software does n’t appeal – and it may be buggy – you need only hold off until March or thereabouts to get the public version of Io 14.5 by updating normally .
Problems with default apps
A few outcome have been account since the novel default app feature made its debut .
The first was thata bug in iOS 14meant that whenever an iPhone was rebooted , the defaults would reset back to the Apple variants . Apple patched this in iOS 14.0.1 , but even after this some exploiter describe that the default app setting would reset every time the novel nonpayment app receive a software update . For object lesson , if you set Gmail as your default e-mail app and Gmail has a computer software update , thesystem will default on back to Apple Mail afterwards .
We ’ve also noticed that when using Siri to create email , the digital assistant sometimes ignores our update preferences and reverts to Mail .
As this is still a comparatively new feature , it ’s understandable that some things are restrain to go faulty , and Apple is generally assiduous about issuing patches for reported bugs . We have a separate clause where you may interpret more about theproblems with iOS 14 .
For more room to customise your iPhone experience , readhow to change app icon in iOS 14 .
How to change default apps in iOS 13
If you have n’t got an iPhone that ’s compatible with iOS 14 or would rather wait a while to see how thebattery run out issuesmany drug user have live pan out , there are some ways to change the nonremittal in iOS 13 , albeit using more taxicab than options . We explain how to do this next .
iOS 13 remains a urbane and user - well-disposed art object of software , with a wide stove of well - incorporate apps that will do a great job for most people , most of the prison term . But that does n’t mean the default iOS 13 experience ca n’t be improve .
Name almost any preinstalled Apple app , and we could name an alternative by a third - party developer that will be estimable for some or even most drug user . Calendar is fine , butFantastical(which recently , and polemically , switched to a subscription model ) is salutary . Mail is fine , but you ’ll get more from Gmail andSpark . Many of us prefer Google Maps to Apple Maps , although the latter has been catching up recently . And Safari has plenty of rivals for the part ofiPhone web web browser .
The job , and one reason why many even quite tech - savvy users do n’t make the electrical switch , is that Apple ’s own apps are fix as the default . This means that when you tap a web link , it ’ll assailable in Safari ; when you snap on a postal address it ’ll be shown in Maps . It ’s difficult to change this behaviour – Apple lead a blind drunk ship – but in this tutorial we research the honorable ways to use alternate apps on your iPhone .
Option 1: Change default apps by jailbreaking
To change the default iOS apps on your iPhone so that your choose apps are mechanically used to open web links , street addresses , calendar invites and so on , you need tojailbreak your iPhone(which we do n’t recommend ) . Even then , it ’s not as unsubdivided as entering the configurations and flicking a few on/off switch – you take to install specific apps to enable each customisation . Here are three jailbreak apps deserving try . ( Hat - tip toLifewirefor the recommendation . )
black market a search on Cydia for the name of your prefer third - party app and there ’s a good probability you ’ll find a solution for jailbroken phones .
As common , however , we have to discourage less experienced iPhone users that Apple does not O.K. of jailbreaking your gimmick , and that doing so may nullify your warranties ; it also puts you at a gamey risk of installing malware , since it enable you to download apps from non - prescribed sources .
Option 2: Change default apps in Settings
accept you do n’t want to jailbreak your iPhone – and many do n’t fancy this – then you could not make a non - Apple app the default in any of the domain outline above . Not in good order . Nevertheless , some apps ’ setting allow you do something pretty near .
The most obvious good example is your vane browser app . Let ’s say you want Chrome to be default rather than Safari – which is n’t possible without jailbreaking . But while iOS itself wo n’t have you specify an alternative nonpayment browser app , some apps will .
If you utilise Flipboard , tap the profile icon ( the righthand icon in the bottom Browning automatic rifle ) then attain the preferences cog . Tap browser app , then choose an choice . From this app at least , Chrome ( or whatever you pick out ) will now be the default for opening web connection .
In Gmail , knock the ground beef icon ( three horizontal line ) at the top left , scroll down and tap configurations > Default apps . You ’ll be able to take the World Wide Web browser app , chromosome mapping app and calendar that are used by default from Gmail . The same options can be bump in the preferences of other Google apps , such as Google Docs , Sheets , Photos and interpret – just expect for an option labelled Default Apps .
For each ( non - Apple ) app you use , and especially for those which oft have web links , date , postal addresses and other element that would usually head to an Apple app being launch , check the setting and look for the alternative to deepen the nonpayment .
Option 3: Manually select a different app
After solve your way through your app setting , you ’ll probably still notice some gaps – apps that resist to let you change the nonpayment web web browser , for example , and carry on opening all links in Safari .
Even at this point , you may regain that you may stimulate different behavior by manually selecting a unlike alternative each clock time you click a link . experimentation to bump the better approach , but tapping and holding a link alternatively of tapping and releasing is a skilful place to begin – oftentimes this will bring up a lean of options , which may admit Open In , from which you could choose a dissimilar web browser app .
Sometimes this is rather awkward . In the iOS Twitter app , for instance , tap and holding a vane link start up a mini trailer of the page ; you could then tap the share ikon at the bottom , tap More , tap Chrome , and finally hit Open in Chrome . Not really deserving the hassle – in particular as Twitter open links without leaving the app , so it does n’t make a huge deviation which web browser app is selected .
Similarly , most Apple apps will ( for graspable reason ) make you jump off through basketball game . Press and control a URL in Notes , say , and the undetermined use offer is Safari . But you’re able to still select the Share choice , and get hold your way through to Chrome via the devious road list above .
But in other cases it ’s more straightforward . In WhatsApp , for instance , pressing and hold a entanglement connectedness bring up a menu with Open Link ( which is Safari ) and Open in Chrome below . That ’s not a vast hardship .
What about deleting the original app?
This is , as far as we can recite , a red Clupea harangus . Yes , Apple does allow you to erase some preinstalled apps ( by tapping and holding the icon until it starts wobbling , then tapping the X and confirming ) . But we have n’t been able-bodied to get iOS to then default on to an choice .
We tested this by deleting Maps , then manually write a postal savoir-faire in Notes . This was transform mechanically into a tappable connectedness ; we tapped it , hoping to be place to Google Maps . or else , we were only given the options to ‘ touch on “ Maps ” ? ’ Or cancel the action .
You could stress experiment with delete other Apple apps , but we surmise that the same will happen with all of them . In any case , many of the most important Apple apps – including Safari , Photos , Camera and Phone – can not be deleted at all .
Is it worth changing default apps?
If you ’re a jailbreaker – or are unforced to become a jailbreaker – then yes . But if you ’re not , you have to weigh up the pros and cons . You have to decide if the benefit of using a non - Apple app are enough to overbalance the extra effort .
If you ’re a Brobdingnagian lover of Fantastical , say , and think it outclasses Calendar in every way of life , then it ’s probably worth combing through the background in your other apps and trying to make it the default calendar app where possible . If you just intend Chrome is a bit decent than Safari then it probably is n’t .
For what it ’s deserving , having weigh up the pros and cons the author of this article uses almost entirely default iPhone apps rather than the alternatives . The only exception is Google Maps , and even there I just use it from launching ; if a WWW page sends me to Apple Maps then I put up with it because it ’s actually not regretful . But you ’ll have to make this decision for yourself .
Further reading
Now you know how to change your default option apps , you ’ll be wanting advice on which apps to choose instead . Read9 best alternatives to Apple ’s lineage iPhone appsfor more information on this important topic .
