Wondering how to change default browser in Outlook? You set Chrome, Firefox, or Safari as your default browser. Outlook ignores you anyway and opens every link in Edge. That’s not a glitch. It’s a setting Microsoft buried a few menus deep, and it takes about two minutes to fix once you know where to look.
Quick Takeaways
- Outlook links open in Edge by default on Microsoft 365 builds released after 2023, even when Edge isn’t your system default.
- Classic Outlook and new Outlook for Windows each store this setting in a different place.
- On a Mac, Outlook has no separate browser setting. It follows whatever you’ve set as the system default.
- Changing your Windows default apps alone won’t fix it if Outlook’s own link-handling setting still points to Edge.
- Restart Outlook after changing the setting, or the fix won’t take effect.
Outlook links opening in Edge instead of your chosen browser is defined as a link-handling setting inside Outlook that overrides your operating system’s default browser. Microsoft introduced it in 2023 so Edge could show the linked page next to your email. You can turn it off in under a minute.
Why Outlook Keeps Opening Links in Edge
Here’s the thing: this isn’t a bug you introduced by clicking the wrong button. Starting with an Outlook build numbered 16.0.16227.20280, Microsoft began forcing web links to open in Edge, regardless of what your Windows or Mac default browser was set to. The stated reason was convenience. Edge could open your link in a side pane next to the email that contained it, so you wouldn’t have to switch windows.
Most people never asked for that. And the setting doesn’t sit in Windows’ Default Apps menu, which is the first place anyone looks. It sits inside Outlook itself, under a submenu called Link Handling.
According to Microsoft’s own documentation, this behavior currently applies to Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Business subscriptions running the affected builds. If you’re on an older version of Outlook, or using Outlook on macOS, this override doesn’t apply. Your links already follow the system default. That means Mac users need a completely different fix, covered further down.
Quick Comparison
| Outlook Version | Where the Setting Lives | Fix Takes Effect |
| Classic Outlook (Windows) | File > Options > Advanced > Link Handling | After restarting Outlook |
| New Outlook (Windows) | Settings > General > Files and Links | Immediately, no restart needed |
| Outlook (Mac) | No Outlook-level setting | Change the Mac system default browser instead |
How to Change the Default Browser in Classic Outlook (Windows)
If your ribbon says “File” in the top-left corner and your version looks like the Outlook you’ve used for years, you’re on classic Outlook. Here’s how to fix it:
- Open Outlook and click File in the top-left corner.
- Click Options in the bottom-left corner of the Account Information screen.
- In the Outlook Options window, click Advanced in the left-hand pane.
- Scroll down to the section labeled File and browser preferences.
- Find the dropdown next to Open hyperlinks from Outlook in: and change it from Microsoft Edge to Default Browser.
- Click OK.
- Close Outlook completely, then reopen it.
That last step matters. A lot of frustrated forum posts turn out to be people who changed the setting and clicked a link right away, without restarting. The change doesn’t apply until Outlook fully reloads.
According to Microsoft support documentation, this setting also controls link behavior in Teams for Windows, since the two apps share the same underlying link handler. If Teams links suddenly open in your preferred browser too, that’s expected. Not a side effect to worry about.
How to Change the Default Browser in New Outlook for Windows
Microsoft has been migrating users to a redesigned Outlook, and the settings menu looks nothing like the classic version. If your Outlook has a gear icon in the top-right corner instead of a File tab in the corner, you’re on new Outlook.
- Click the gear icon (Settings) in the upper-right corner, or go to File > Settings.
- Select General from the left-hand menu.
- Click Files and links.
- Under Open hyperlinks from Outlook in, choose your preferred browser from the available options.
One catch: if that option is greyed out or missing entirely, your organization’s IT department has likely locked it with a policy called “Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links.” Admins set this centrally through the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center, and when it’s active, individual users can’t override it. If you’re on a work account and don’t see the setting, that’s probably why. Contact your IT admin rather than troubleshooting further on your end.
How to Fix It on Mac
Outlook for Mac doesn’t have its own browser setting at all. It simply opens links using whatever browser macOS has set as the system default. So the fix happens outside Outlook entirely.
On macOS Ventura 13 or later:
- Make sure your preferred browser is already installed.
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and choose System Settings.
- Click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar.
- Scroll down and choose your browser from the “Default web browser” menu.
On older macOS versions, the same option lives under System Preferences > General > Default Web Browser instead. Either way, there’s no extra step inside Outlook. Once macOS knows your preference, Outlook links follow it.
Still Opening in Edge? Troubleshooting Steps
If you’ve made the change and links still land in Edge, work through these in order:
- Confirm you restarted Outlook completely.
Closing the window isn’t always enough if Outlook is still running in the background. Check Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) and end the process if needed.
- Recheck the Link Handling dropdown.
Some users report the setting silently reverts to Edge after a Microsoft 365 update. Go back into Options and confirm it still says Default Browser, not Edge.
- Check your Windows default apps for each file type.
Windows ties browser defaults to individual protocols and extensions: HTTP, HTTPS, .htm, .html, and a few others. If even one of these still points to Edge, some links may slip through. Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps, search for your browser, and set it as default for each relevant type.
- Rule out organizational policy.
If you’re on a work or school account, ask your IT team whether the “Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links” policy is active. If it is, no amount of local troubleshooting will override it.
Common Questions
What’s the fastest way to stop Outlook from opening links in Edge?
Go to File > Options > Advanced in classic Outlook, scroll to Link Handling, and switch the dropdown to Default Browser.
Why did Outlook suddenly start opening links in Edge?
Microsoft changed this behavior in 2023 for Microsoft 365 subscriptions, forcing Edge as the link handler by default regardless of your system settings.
Should I set my browser as default in Windows Settings or in Outlook?
Both. Windows Settings controls your system-wide default. Outlook has its own separate override that needs to be set to “Default Browser” to actually respect that choice.
Does this affect Outlook on Mac too?
No. Outlook for Mac has no separate link-handling setting. It always follows your macOS system default browser.
Why does my IT admin control this and I can’t change it?
Organizations can lock the browser-link setting through a Microsoft 365 admin policy, which removes the option from individual users’ Outlook settings entirely.
Wrapping Up
This covers Windows and Mac desktop Outlook. It doesn’t address Outlook on iOS or Android, which handle default apps through your phone’s own settings rather than Outlook’s menus. If you manage Outlook for a team and want to standardize this setting across every machine, that’s a policy-level change your admin makes once, rather than something each person fixes individually.
For more fixes like this one, check out Openherald’s Guides & Tutorials section, where we cover the small settings that quietly break your workflow, and how to undo them.