So you're sick of Safari ...

It's easy to change your iPhone's default web browser if you so desire.

Author

Lewis Wallace
April 02, 2025

In partnership with

I resisted using Safari on my iPhone for a long time, mostly because some of the tools we use to produce Cult of Mac and The CultCast only work with Chrome. (Such is the state of web publishing and podcasting.)

I also preferred Chrome to Safari. It just seemed better all around.

However, I’ve changed my tune after trying out Safari features such as Reader mode and the recently added Hide Distracting Items. (Want to see all the cool features Apple added to Safari in iOS 18? We’ve got a roundup for that.)

All that stuff means I don’t need today’s updated how-to, which shows you how to switch your iPhone’s default web browser from Safari to a third-party alternative.

But maybe you do need this info. It turns out there are some good reasons why you might want to ditch Safari (syncing with Windows/Android, getting a more customizable user interface, or even beefing up security or privacy beyond Apple’s already high bar).

Find out how easy it is to switch your iPhone’s default browser in today’s updated how-to (or our video walkthrough).

Also in today’s newsletter:

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

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How to change the default web browser on iPhone or iPad

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A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

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Shield up to 5 devices from the evil internet with McAfee Total Protection

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Visa wants to power Apple Card's next chapter

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Today in Apple history: Microsoft's first hardware debuts ... on the Apple II

On April 2, 1979, Microsoft released its first hardware, a microprocessor card called the Z-80 SoftCard that plugged into the Apple II.

Tweets of the day

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Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

Buckle up. Got something totally new for you now. What is this? It's a totally new application. It's called Safari, and it is a turbo browser for Mac OS X. We have done our own browser, and it's hot.

— Steve Jobs, 2003.

Today’s poll

Would you wear Apple smart glasses?

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Results from yesterday’s poll: How interested are you in Apple Watch getting a glucose monitor?

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