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Default apps on iPhone: How to switch from Safari and Mail to others like Chrome and Gmail
Here’s how you can easily change the default apps on your iPhone.
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If you own an iPhone and want to change the default apps, now you can do so. Gone are the times when you couldn't and were limited to the apps that Apple wanted you to use, especially the Safari browser.
Some of this functionality came with iOS 14, and now with iOS 18.2, you have a wide range of apps that you can set as default. So, you have to have iOS 18.2 or later versions installed in order to change the default apps on your iPhone, including selecting third-party apps for email, messaging, calling, call filtering, web Browse, passwords, as well as the keyboard. Wondering how to do it? Here are a few easy steps on how to change the default apps on your iPhone.
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How to change the default apps on your iPhone
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Scroll all the way down and tap on Apps.
Step 2: You will now see an option called Default Apps at the top of the Apps section. Tap on it.
Step 3: In the Default Apps section, you'll see various categories including Email, Messaging, Calling, Call Filtering, and more.
Step 4: Depending on which category you want to customise, let’s go with Email for this example, you can select a third-party app. For instance, if you've installed Gmail from the App Store, you can set it as your default instead of Apple’s Mail app.
Similarly, for the Calling app, you can choose FaceTime, Phone, or WhatsApp, if installed.
For web browsing, you can also select other browsers like Chrome.
There are also options for changing defaults for Keyboards, Passwords & Codes, and Translation.
What you could do previously
It should be noted that with iOS 14, Apple introduced the ability to change the default browser and default mail app. Previously, this option was somewhat hidden. You had to open a compatible app like Chrome and then choose it as the default browser from within that app's settings. But now, the process is more streamlined, and new categories have been added over time.
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