How to Stop Outlook from Opening Links in Edge Instead of Chrome
Configure classic and new Outlook plus Windows default apps so hyperlinks open in Chrome (or any browser) instead of Microsoft Edge.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Time required
- 5 minutes
- Steps
- 5
- Platform
- Outlook
- Version
- Outlook build 16.0.16227.20280 or later (classic Outlook for Windows)
- Last tested
- July 11, 2026
Table of contents
Quick Answer
Go to the stepsIn classic Outlook: File > Options > Advanced > File and browser preferences > set "Open hyperlinks from Outlook in" to Default Browser, then restart Outlook. In new Outlook for Windows: Settings > General > Files and links > set "Open hyperlinks from Outlook in" to your preferred browser. Also make sure your chosen browser is set as the Windows default for the HTTP and HTTPS protocols in Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- Set your preferred browser as the Windows default (Settings > Apps > Default apps)
- In classic Outlook, go to File > Options > Advanced > File and browser preferences
- Change "Open hyperlinks from Outlook in" to Default Browser
- In new Outlook, use Settings > General > Files and links instead
- Restart Outlook and test a link
Classic Outlook: File > Options > Advanced > File and browser preferences > Open hyperlinks from Outlook in. New Outlook: Settings > General > Files and links > Open hyperlinks from Outlook in.Expected result: After restarting Outlook, clicking a link in an email opens it in your chosen default browser instead of Microsoft Edge, with no side-by-side sidebar pane.
Key takeaways
- How to stop Outlook and Teams from forcing hyperlinks to open in Microsoft Edge, using both the Outlook-level setting and the Windows default-apps configuration.
- Since 2023, Outlook for Windows has opened web links in Microsoft Edge by default with a side-by-side sidebar view, overriding whatever browser is set as the Windows default — a change that surprises most users the first time it happens.
- Change the Outlook (or Teams) browser preference first, then confirm Windows itself has your browser set as the default for HTTP and HTTPS.
Introduction
Starting with Outlook build 16.0.16227.20280, Microsoft changed Outlook and Teams for Windows to open web links in Microsoft Edge by default, showing the linked page side-by-side with your email in an Edge sidebar pane. This happens regardless of which browser is set as your Windows default, which catches most people off guard the first time they click a link. The good news is that both classic Outlook and new Outlook for Windows have their own setting to reverse this and use your system's default browser instead — you just need to know where to look, since the two versions put it in different places. This tutorial covers the Outlook-level fix, the Windows default-apps configuration underneath it, and what to check if the setting is greyed out on a managed device.
Who this is for: Anyone using classic or new Outlook for Windows who wants links to open in their own default browser (Chrome, Firefox, or otherwise) instead of Edge.
Before you start
- Access
- No admin rights are needed to change your own Outlook or Windows default-browser settings. Changing the setting tenant-wide for all users requires a Microsoft 365 admin.
- Environment
- Microsoft 365 subscription (commercial, Personal, or Family) with classic or new Outlook for Windows.
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Tested environment
- Tested on classic and new Outlook for Windows on Windows 11, July 2026.
- Last tested
Both classic Outlook (Microsoft 365 desktop) and new Outlook for Windows have this setting, but in different locations in their settings menus.
The Outlook setting itself takes under a minute; add a few more minutes if you also need to update Windows default-apps associations.
This procedure only changes application and system preferences — it doesn't modify email content, mailbox data, or send anything.
1Set Your Preferred Browser as the Windows Default
Make sure Windows itself is pointed at your preferred browser before changing the Outlook-specific setting.
Settings > Apps > Default appsPress Windows + I to open Settings, then go to Apps > Default apps. Search for your browser (for example Google Chrome) and select it. Click Set default. For full coverage on Windows 11, also click Choose defaults for link types, then set your browser for the HTTP and HTTPS entries individually.
Expected result: Your chosen browser appears as the default app, and as the assigned app for the HTTP and HTTPS link types.
Note
This step alone won't stop Outlook from using Edge — classic Outlook has its own internal override, covered in the next step.
2Change the Browser Preference in Classic Outlook
Turn off Outlook's internal override so it falls back to the Windows default browser.
File > Options > Advanced > File and browser preferences > Open hyperlinks from Outlook inOpen classic Outlook for Windows (the Microsoft 365 desktop app, not the new Outlook). Click File, then Options. In the Outlook Options dialog, select Advanced in the left pane and scroll to File and browser preferences. Change the Open hyperlinks from Outlook in dropdown from Microsoft Edge to Default Browser, then click OK.
Expected result: The dropdown now shows Default Browser instead of Microsoft Edge.
Note
Fully close and reopen Outlook for the change to take effect — it doesn't apply to an already-open session.
3Change the Browser Preference in New Outlook
Apply the equivalent setting if you're using new Outlook for Windows instead of the classic app.
Settings > General > Files and links > Open hyperlinks from Outlook inIn new Outlook for Windows, click the Settings gear icon, then go to General > Files and links. Find the Open hyperlinks from Outlook in dropdown and select your preferred browser (or Default Browser) instead of Microsoft Edge.
Expected result: Links clicked in new Outlook now open in the browser you selected.
Note
New Outlook and Teams share this preference — changing it in one changes it in the other, since both route through the same "Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links" behavior.
4Confirm Your Outlook Version and Build
Make sure you're looking at the right settings menu for the Outlook version you actually have.
File > Office Account > Product InformationIn classic Outlook, go to File > Office Account and check the build number under Product Information; you need build 16.0.16227.20280 or later for the browser-preference feature described here. If you see a Try the new Outlook toggle in the top-right corner, note whether it's on or off — that determines which of the two previous steps applies to you.
Expected result: You can see your exact Outlook build number and whether you're running classic or new Outlook.
Note
If your build is older than 16.0.16227.20280, this specific Edge-redirect behavior doesn't apply to you yet, and Outlook should already be using your Windows default browser.
5Test Link Behavior
Confirm the fix works across the different places links appear in Outlook.
Send yourself a test email containing an HTTP link, an HTTPS link, and a link inside your signature. Click each one and confirm it opens in your chosen browser rather than Edge. Also test a link inside a forwarded email and a calendar invitation, since these sometimes render differently.
Expected result: All tested links open in your chosen default browser with no Edge sidebar pane appearing.
Note
If a Windows feature update or a Microsoft 365 update resets the setting, repeat steps 2–3 — this preference can be reset by major updates.
How to Confirm the Setting Actually Applied
Confirm configuration
The most reliable confirmation is behavioral: click a real link from a real email and watch which browser opens, since the dropdown value alone doesn't guarantee the change took effect until Outlook has been fully restarted. If links still open in Edge after restarting, the most common cause on a managed device is the tenant-wide "Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links" policy, which is configured in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center or via Group Policy and overrides the per-user Outlook setting. On an unmanaged device, the next most common cause is that only one of the Outlook setting or the Windows default-apps setting was changed, not both.
Normal result: Clicking a hyperlink from an Outlook email opens it directly in your chosen browser, with no Edge sidebar pane and no redirect through Edge first.
Abnormal result: Links keep opening in Edge even after changing the dropdown and restarting Outlook — check whether a tenant policy ("Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links") is enforcing Edge, or whether the Windows HTTP/HTTPS default-apps association reverted.
Open hyperlinks from Outlook in: Default Browser
Outlook defers to Windows
Outlook no longer forces Edge and instead opens whatever Windows has set as the default browser.
Open hyperlinks from Outlook in: Microsoft Edge
Outlook still forces Edge
This is the out-of-the-box default introduced with build 16.0.16227.20280 and later.
Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links: Microsoft Edge (enforced)
Tenant policy overrides the user setting
An admin has enforced Edge organization-wide; the per-user Outlook dropdown won't override it.
Troubleshooting
Links still open in Edge after changing the classic Outlook setting
Warning
Cause: Outlook wasn't fully restarted, or you're actually running new Outlook where the setting lives in a different menu.
Fully close Outlook (check it's not still running in the background) and reopen it. Confirm which Outlook version you're running via the "Try the new Outlook" toggle, and use the matching setting location from this tutorial.
"File and browser preferences" section is missing from Advanced options
Note
Cause: You're on new Outlook (which uses a different settings menu) or on an Outlook build older than 16.0.16227.20280 that doesn't have this specific setting yet.
Check your build number under File > Office Account, and if you're on new Outlook, use Settings > General > Files and links instead.
The browser dropdown is greyed out or reverts to Edge automatically
Warning
Cause: A Microsoft 365 admin has enforced Edge organization-wide through the "Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links" Cloud Policy or an equivalent Group Policy setting.
Contact your IT administrator — on a managed device, this policy overrides the per-user Outlook setting, and only an admin can change it centrally.
Some links open in Chrome, others still open in Edge
Note
Cause: The Windows default-apps association is only partially configured — for example HTTPS is set to Chrome but HTTP still points to Edge, or a specific file type (like .pdf or .htm) wasn't updated.
Return to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose defaults for link types and confirm both HTTP and HTTPS are set to your browser, then check any relevant file-type associations.
The setting works but reverts after a Windows or Microsoft 365 update
Note
Cause: Major feature updates can reset default-app associations and, less commonly, Outlook preferences.
Re-check both the Outlook browser preference and the Windows HTTP/HTTPS default-apps setting after major Windows or Microsoft 365 updates, and reapply them if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Outlook open links in Edge even though Chrome is my default browser?
Starting with Outlook build 16.0.16227.20280, Outlook and Teams for Windows have their own internal browser preference that overrides your Windows default browser and opens links in Edge with a side-by-side sidebar view. You need to change this setting separately from your Windows default browser.
Does new Outlook for Windows have the same Edge override as classic Outlook?
Yes. New Outlook for Windows has an equivalent setting under Settings > General > Files and links > Open hyperlinks from Outlook in, in a different location from classic Outlook's File > Options > Advanced menu.
What Outlook build do I need to change this browser setting?
You need classic Outlook build 16.0.16227.20280 or later. Check your build number under File > Office Account > Product Information, and update Microsoft 365 if you're on an older build.
Why is the browser dropdown greyed out in my company's Outlook?
Your Microsoft 365 admin has likely enforced Microsoft Edge tenant-wide through the "Choose Which Browser Opens Web Links" Cloud Policy, which overrides individual users' Outlook settings.
Does this setting also affect Microsoft Teams?
Yes, Outlook and Teams for Windows share the same underlying browser-link behavior, though each app has its own setting menu to control it — Teams uses Settings > Files and links > Link open preference.
Can I set a different browser for Outlook links on my phone?
Yes, the Outlook mobile app has a separate Open Links With setting under Settings > Integration and Add-ins, independent of the Windows desktop configuration.
Conclusion
Outlook's Edge-redirect behavior comes from an internal setting that's independent of your Windows default browser, so fixing it means changing two things: the Outlook (or Teams) browser preference, found in a different menu depending on whether you use classic or new Outlook, and the Windows HTTP/HTTPS default-apps association underneath it. On a personal device both are yours to change; on a managed device, a tenant-wide Cloud Policy can override the per-user Outlook setting, in which case only an admin can restore default-browser behavior.
Change the Outlook (or Teams) browser preference first, then confirm Windows itself has your browser set as the default for HTTP and HTTPS.
Classic Outlook: File > Options > Advanced > File and browser preferences > Open hyperlinks from Outlook in. New Outlook: Settings > General > Files and links > Open hyperlinks from Outlook in.Sources2
