Chances are that you want certain apps on your Android telephone to handle specific deportment. This is where default apps come in: they allow you lot to cull what browser, SMS service, electronic mail customer, and other apps open when you load related content.

We'll explain everything you lot need to know nearly default apps in Android, including how to arrange your default apps, change how links open up, remove default apps, and more.

What Are Default Apps?

If you're non aware, default apps allow y'all to choose which apps handle certain actions on your device. For instance, you might have multiple Android browsers installed. When yous tap on a link without a default set up, your phone will inquire which browser yous'd like to open it with, since y'all have several apps that can handle information technology.

There are many categories that work this style, and setting default apps saves y'all from having to pick which app to use every time. Let's encounter what happens when you don't have a default app set up, then nosotros'll examine how to adjust default apps.

How to Set New Default Apps on Android

When you try to launch something that doesn't have a default app ready, or install a new app that can handle the action, you may see a prompt to select which app to utilize, as shown below.

If you want to set the suggested app as your default for this action, tap Always to use that app and set it as the default for the future. Choose But once if you want to use that app without setting it as the default.

To use another app, select it from the listing that appears below. That one will announced equally the get-go choice next fourth dimension you take this activeness, allowing you to set information technology as the default if you want.

How to Review and Change Default Apps on Android

On stock Android 10, you lot'll observe the default apps menu at Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Default apps. This might be slightly unlike depending on your device or Android version.

Hither, you'll see your electric current default apps for a variety of categories:

  • Assist app: The smart banana for vocalism control, analysis of what's on your screen, and similar. Examples includes Google Banana and Alexa.
  • Browser app: Used to open links you tap. Examples include Chrome and Firefox.
  • Caller ID & spam app: Used to place calls and cake spammers. Examples include Google'southward Phone app and Truecaller.
  • Home app: Your default launcher that allows yous to access and organize apps on your telephone. Examples include Pixel Launcher and Nova Launcher.
  • Phone app: Handles making and receiving calls. Examples include Google'due south Phone app and Simpler Dialer.
  • SMS app: Allows you to ship and manage text messages. Examples include Google's Messages app and Pulse SMS.

Tap a category to review the apps y'all accept installed for that purpose. If you lot have more than one installed, select which app you'd like to set as default.

From now on, any applicable content you lot open up volition use that app. For example, if you change your default telephone app, it will launch when you tap a phone number on the web.

Keep in mind that in that location are more categories than these. For example, if you install a third-party camera app, when you utilise a shortcut to open the photographic camera (like pressing the power button twice on a Pixel phone), your phone will inquire you which camera app you'd like to use.

How to Remove Default Android Apps

If you don't desire an app to act every bit the default for annihilation, you can articulate all default settings for information technology. To do this, head to Settings > Apps & notifications > Encounter all X apps and select the app you'd like to remove defaults for.

Once you're on the app page, expand the Advanced department and tap Open by default. If the app is set to default for any activeness, you'll see a Clear defaults button at the bottom of the page. Tap this to clear that setting.

The next fourth dimension yous open content that this app used to handle, you tin can choose which app launches instead.

The above covers the essentials for default apps on Android, but there'due south another attribute y'all should know about: app links.

When you tap a website link and accept that service'due south app installed, your phone can go to supported URLs in the appropriate app instead of your browser. For example, when you tap a YouTube link, you probably want to watch the video in the YouTube app. This is known as "deep linking" in Android development.

While you lot can't modify which apps open up certain URLs, you lot can choose whether links open in your browser or the appropriate app.

To change how links open up in Android, render to the Default apps page you visited earlier. Here, tap Opening links to review these settings.

At the top, you lot tin can toggle the Instant apps feature, which allows you lot to use some apps without actually installing them.

For the moment, we're interested in the field beneath, where y'all'll see an entry for most apps on your telephone. Select one and you'll run into two fields on the Open by default page.

Open supported links allows you to choose whether you lot want to open uniform URLs in the app. Choose Open in this app to do so, or Don't open in this app to e'er open in your browser. Ask every time lets yous determine equally needed.

If you lot're curious which URLS the app tin can open up, tap Supported links to see a listing. For case, YouTube of course opens youtube.com links, as well as youtu.be and 1000.youtube.com.

Disabling In-App Browsers

There'southward one other setting to consider for default link behavior. Many popular apps, including Gmail, Telegram, Twitter, and Slack, include their own in-app browsers. This means that webpages you launch in these apps load in their own browser window instead of the appropriate app or your default browser.

Opening a folio using an in-app browser where you're not logged in to any sites is usually annoying, so we recommend turning these off for best results. The location varies for each app, but y'all'll commonly detect it equally a setting named something like Use in-app browser or Open links externally.

For example, in the Twitter app, you lot'll notice the option at Settings and privacy > Display and sound > Employ in-app browser.

Expand Default Apps With Third-Political party Solutions

For well-nigh people, the built-in default app options in Android are enough. If you'd like to add more functionality, a few apps can help.

Better Open With

This app allows yous to set preferred apps that yous can override at any time. Launch it and you'll see a serial of categories, like Audio Files, Browser, Dialer, and Emails.

After selecting a category, tap the star next to your preferred app. Use the eye icon to hide whatsoever apps you don't desire to use. In the Browser department, you tin too use the dropdown box at the acme to choose specific settings for sites like YouTube and Twitter.

At present, open a compatible link. When yous're asked to choose an app, select Ameliorate Open With and choose Always. Better Open With will show a panel at the bottom with a countdown and list of compatible apps. If you don't select one before the timer runs out, your preferred app will open.

While this is handy, Ameliorate Open With has some issues. At the time of writing, it hasn't seen an update since June 2022. When launched on Android 10, you'll see a warning that the app isn't designed for modernistic versions of Android. In that location'southward also an ugly black box at the bottom of the app because of this.

Aside from version compatibility, it can't handle all types of actions either---SMS is a noticeable omission. However, the app is totally free, so it'south worth a try if you like the idea.

Download: Better Open With (Free)

Want more command over irresolute the default app for links? Open up Link With... allows you to open up links in the proper apps when Android doesn't do it automatically. This is helpful when a YouTube or Twitter link opens in your browser instead of the corresponding app.

Once installed, launch Open Link With... and walk through the tutorial. At the terminate, grant the app usage access for best operation. In one case that's done, you lot won't demand to worry about it once more until yous desire to open a link with some other app.

When you practice, tap the 3-dot Menu push in your browser and cull Share. Select Open Link With... and yous'll meet a listing of compatible apps for that type of link. Choose Just Once if yous want to be asked again next time, or Always to associate that blazon of link with an app permanently.

While this is similar to the built-in functionality, if y'all have issues with links opening properly or want to open up the same types of content in different apps regularly (maybe you lot use two different Twitter clients), it's worth a look.

Download: Open up Link With... (Free)

Master Default Apps on Android

Now yous know how to have control of your default apps on Android. Most of the time, you should be able to prepare these and forget nearly them unless you find a new favorite app. Simply you have options for more control if the basics don't go the job washed.

Speaking of default apps, why not consider replacing some of the stock apps that came with your telephone?

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Nearly The Author

Ben Stegner (1808 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his IT job to write full-time in 2022 and has never looked back. He'south been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more every bit a professional writer for over eight years.

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