How to open web links in Chrome instead of Safari on iPhone

Learn how to make your iPhone or iPad open web links in Chrome instead of Safari if you prefer Google’s browser over Apple’s built-in option.

You can open links in Chrome in four ways, all explained below.

Before proceeding, make sure Chrome is installed on your iPhone or iPad from the App Store.

Set Chrome as your default browser

Setting Google Chrome as your default web browser will prompt your iPhone to open all web links that you tap in apps like Mail in Chrome instead of Safari.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps at the bottom.
2. Select Default Apps.
3. Tap Browser App, then select Chrome as your default browser. If you don’t see this option, run Chrome after installing it.

Select Chrome in app settings

Gmail, Drive, Telegram, and some other apps let you choose your preferred browser for opening in-app links. Steps vary by app, but generally, you can find this option in the app’s settings. Setting Chrome as the in-app browser will make links open in Chrome instead of Safari or any other default browser.

Telegram

1. Open Telegram and tap Settings.
2. Go to Data and Storage > Open Links in and choose Chrome.

Gmail

1. Open the Gmail app, tap the three lines in the top-left corner to open the side menu, then choose Settings at the bottom of the menu.
2. Tap Default apps.
3. Select Chrome.
4. Return to the previous screen and tap Done to make it the default browser for Gmail links you tap within the app.

Choose Chrome in the system-wide share menu

Installing Chrome on your iPhone or iPad automatically adds Google’s Open in Chrome action to the share menus. This lets you tap the share icon in another browser, like Safari, and choose ‘Open in Chrome’ to open the link directly in Chrome without manually copying and pasting.

Open links in Chrome with a Siri shortcut

Lastly, you can use a free shortcut from Apple’s Shortcuts app to open links in Chrome.

1. Add the Open in Chrome shortcut to your iPhone. You can use the link or find it by searching for Chrome in the Shortcuts app Gallery.
2. Add this shortcut to the Home Screen for instant access.
3. You can now copy a web link in another browser, like Safari, to the clipboard, then tap the Open in Chrome icon on the Home Screen to run the shortcut, which will open the copied link directly in Chrome.

If you prefer Chrome over other web browsers, these four methods will let you easily open web links in other apps directly in Chrome.

To supercharge your mobile browsing, peruse these 18 tips in Chrome for iPhone and iPad.