After an Adroid 12 update, you can no longer choose which browser you’re going to open a URL with. The update forces you to set the default browser. Now when you tap on any web link, the default browser is used automatically.
Android previously allowed you to select a browser to open a link with if you didn’t have a default browser app set. This was useful to keep work and personal browser activity separate, and I used it all the time. Needless to say, I was disappointed when this functionality changed.
Others Have the Same Problem
This post from the Mobile Internist was close to having a working solution for me. However, that post, this forum post, and this one mention disabling Chrome and/or installing the Beta version of Chrome. I don’t use Chrome anymore, but for this post, I wanted to provide you with the most widely usable solution. And I did…
There Is a Solution
The best way to get things back to normal is to install an app. This app will handle selecting which browser you want to use to open links.
At first I hated the idea of installing an app for something like this. Choosing a browser when opening links was basic functionality that I had used for years. However, I have had this app installed for months now, and it works great. I hardly even notice it anymore. I highly recommend this app if you’re struggling with the Android 12 update for the reasons mentioned above.
“Better Open With” App
After the Android 12 update, I scowered the internet for a solution. For the longest time I couldn’t find anything useful — just the solutions I mentioned previously. Finally, I found this post from XDA-Developers.com (giving credit where credit is due – THANKS!). This post is where I found the app that solved my problems: Better Open With.
How to Setup Better Open With
Install Better Open With from the Google Play Store
Make sure to install the app shown below. It’s the one by Giorgi Dalakishvili.
Configure “Browser” Settings in Better Open With
Open Better Open With -> tap “Browser” to adjust settings for Browser apps/links.
Browser Settings
On this page, you can tap the “eye” icon to hide an app. Tap the “star” icon to select your preferred browser app. This won’t automatically use the preferred app to open links. It will select your preffered app in the Better Open With pop-up menu that you’ll see later. Having a preferred app can be useful for the next setting.
Countdown Timer
Tap on the pencil icon to configure the countdown timer. The countdown timer will open your preferred browser if no other option is chosen. I turn this option off so that I have plenty of time to choose which browser I’m going to use.
Simply uncheck the “Use countdown time” option.
Set Better Open With As Your Default Browser
After you have all your settings configured the way you want them inside Better Open With, set it as your default browser.
Settings -> Apps -> Choose default apps -> Browser app
What It Looks Like In Operation
Now when you tap on hyperlinks, you’ll be using Better Open With instead of a browser. Here’s an example of a link in a text message on my phone:
Next, you’ll get the Better Open With pop-up menu where you can select which browser to use for that link:
Depending on how you set it up, you may have a countdown timer, or you may see a different browser “highlighted” in your list. Play with the settings to get it working the way you want.
Final Thoughts
I hope this has helped you like it helped me. Before writing this post, I tested this app for months to make sure it was a solid solution. There are only good things to say about this solution now that I’ve tried it myself.
There are other settings in Better Open With that I have not explored yet. It seems like this app could be useful in other scenarios. Let me know if you come across anything else you enjoy using this app for.
Leave a comment below and let me know how this did or did not work for you.
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