How to stop Safari from opening links or files when you use a different Mac browser

Apple is fond of its web browser, Safari, even to the extent that some readers with other preferences find it difficult to consistently get Firefox, Chrome, Opera, or other browsers to open links to web pages in other apps.

The first thing to double-check is macOS’s systemwide browser default preference. Go to  > System Settings > Desktop & Dock. Under “Default web browser,” check that your preferred browser is selected. Even if it is, some readers report changing it fixed their link problem:

1. Select Safari.
2. Quit System Settings.
3. Launch System Settings and return to Desktop & Dock.
4. Choose your preferred browser.
5. Quit System Settings.

Some people have found that this solves the issue for some of their links and files, but that files in the Finder with the .webloc extension (“Internet location”) became locked to Safari started at least two releases of macOS ago. There doesn’t seem to be an easy solution for this.

You can check if that’s the case on your Mac:

1. In the Finder, type webloc into the Search field.
2. Almost certainly, some files with .webloc will appear, as some are created by browsers and stored in caches. Select any one of those files.
3. Choose File > Get Info.
4. If “Open with” is locked to “Safari.app (default),” it will be grayed out and clicking the lock in the lower-right corner and authenticating your user login won’t change it.

A workaround for all scenarios involves the third-party app Choosy ($10). The app intercepts links in both apps and web browsers. You can set global behavior or create rules so that links in specific apps or even links to particular websites are opened with a browser you specify. This can be useful if you use a browser that has compatibility issues with a website, which I’ve seen with both health insurance and banking sites where a non-Safari browser is the only way to access your data.

This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Dan.

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