Change Default Apps on Samsung Android

How to Change Default Apps and Clear Default Apps on Samsung Galaxy Android Devices.

Learn how to change default apps on your Samsung device and clear default app settings. If you want to use Firefox instead of Chrome, or a different texting app than Samsung Messages, it’s easy to switch.

I’ll show you the steps to manage default apps on Samsung phones and tablets. I’m using a Samsung S23 Ultra with Android 15 and One UI 7.0, but these steps work on most Samsung Galaxy models.

What Are Default Apps?

Default apps are the apps that open automatically when you do certain things. For example:

• Tap a link – your default browser opens
• Make a call – your default phone app opens
• Send a text – your default messaging app opens

You can change these to any app you have installed.

How to Change Default Apps on Samsung

Follow these steps to pick a new default app for different tasks:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Apps
3. Tap Choose default apps
4. You’ll see a list of categories
5. Tap any category to pick your preferred app

Here’s what you can change from this menu:

• Browser app – switch from Samsung Internet or Chrome to Firefox, Edge, or any other browser you have installed
• Phone app – choose a different dialer app
• SMS app – switch to Google Messages, Textra, or another texting app
• Digital assistant app – change which app responds to voice commands
• Home app – change your launcher if you use one like Nova Launcher

How to Clear Default App Settings

If you previously chose “Always” when opening a file or link, you can clear that choice. Here’s how:

Method 1: Clear from Settings

1. Go to Settings > Apps
2. Tap the app that opens things by default (for example, if YouTube always opens video links, tap YouTube)
3. Tap Set as default (or “Open by default” on some One UI versions)
4. Tap Clear defaults

Now the next time you open a link that YouTube would normally handle, your phone will ask you which app to use.

Method 2: Reset all app preferences at once

If you have many default settings to clear, this is faster:

1. Go to Settings > Apps
2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner
3. Tap Reset app preferences
4. Confirm the reset

Warning: This resets more than just default apps. It also resets disabled apps, notification settings, background data restrictions, and app permissions. You won’t lose any personal data, but you may need to re-allow permissions for some apps.

How to Change Default Apps When Opening a File

When you open a file (like a PDF, image, or video), your phone may ask which app to use. You’ll see two choices:

• Just once – uses that app this time only
• Always – sets that app as the default for that file type

If you choose “Always” and later want to change it, use the “Clear defaults” steps above.

Here’s a tip: If you’re not sure which app you prefer, choose Just once. You can always pick a different app next time.

How Default Apps Work with File Extensions

Your phone looks at file extensions (like .pdf, .jpg, .mp4) to decide which app to use. If a file has the wrong extension, the wrong app might open it.

For example, if you rename a picture from .jpg to .pdf, your phone might try to open it in a PDF reader instead of a photo editor. To fix this, use the “Open with” menu and pick the right app. Choose “Just once” so it doesn’t become the new default for real PDF files.

Complete List of Default App Categories on Samsung

Depending on your One UI version, you may see:

• Browser app
• Phone app
• SMS app (messaging)
• Digital assistant app
• Home app (launcher)
• Wallet app (tap to pay)

Not all categories let you change the app. Some, like Wallet, are locked to Google or Samsung for security reasons.

Step-by-Step: Change Your Default Browser as an Example

Let’s say you want to use Firefox instead of Chrome:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Apps
3. Tap Choose default apps
4. Tap Browser app
5. Pick Firefox from the list
6. Done. All links will now open in Firefox

The exact same steps work for phone and messaging apps.

Final Tips

• Only one app can be default for each action
• Use “Just once” when unsure which app you prefer
• Clear defaults from an app’s settings page if it keeps opening things you don’t want
• Reset all app preferences only if you have many changes to make
• These steps work on Galaxy S series, Note, Z Fold, Z Flip, and A series phones

If you have questions about changing default apps on your specific Samsung model, leave a comment below. Thanks for reading.