Make Firefox your default browser on Windows

Whether you're using Windows 10 or the latest Windows 11, this guide will help you set Firefox as your default browser with minimal fuss. Setting Firefox as your default browser on Windows has become a bit more involved due to changes in how Windows manages default applications. With the release of Firefox version 126, we introduced a new guidance notification feature to help you easily navigate these changes.

How to set Firefox as your default browser

Make Firefox your default browser in Firefox Settings

1. In the upper-right corner of your screen, click to open the Firefox menu.
2. Select Settings.
3. In the General panel, find the Startup section.
4. If Firefox isn't currently set as your default browser, you'll see the message Firefox is not your default browser. Click the button.
5. If you see this toast notification, it indicates that the one-click default setting did not work, and you will need to take additional steps in your Windows settings.

To easily open Firefox later, add a shortcut to your taskbar:

1. On your computer, open Firefox.
2. At the bottom, in the Windows taskbar, right-click Firefox.
3. Click Pin to taskbar.

Manually set Firefox as your default browser in Windows settings

If the guidance notifications do not appear, don't worry. You can manually set Firefox as your default browser by following these steps (click the to the right of For Windows 10 or For Windows 11 to view the steps):

For Windows 10

1. Click the Windows Start button.
2. Type "Default apps" into the search bar.
3. Select 'Default apps' from the search results.
4. In the 'Default apps' menu, find and click on your current default browser listed under 'Web browser'.
5. Choose Firefox from the list of available options to set it as your default browser.

To easily open Firefox later, add a shortcut to your taskbar:

1. On your computer, open Firefox.
2. At the bottom, in the Windows taskbar, right-click Firefox.
3. Click Pin to taskbar.

For Windows 11

1. Click the Windows Start button.
2. Type "Default apps" into the search bar.
3. Select 'Default apps' from the search results.
4. In the 'Default apps' window, scroll to find Firefox.
5. Click on Firefox.
6. Set Firefox as the default for each file type or link type you need by navigating through the settings provided.

To easily open Firefox later, add a shortcut to your taskbar:

1. On your computer, open Firefox.
2. At the bottom, in the Windows taskbar, right-click Firefox.
3. Click Pin to taskbar.