Since the beginning of the iPhone, iOS users have never been able to set third-party apps as default. While you can install Chrome, Spark, and other apps on your iPhone or iPad, the system will always open Safari and Mail when you tap a URL or email address.
When you have a compatible web browser installed on your iPhone or iPad, iOS shows a new “Default Browser App” option within the app settings. From there, you can set this app to be your default browser instead of Safari. The process is the same for third-party email clients.
iOS prompts the user to confirm that websites or email addresses will be opened in another app, and the dialog disappears once you confirm it for the first time. Everything works just as you expect, with these apps working as full Safari and Mail replacements.
Each app must be reviewed and approved by Apple before being made available on the App Store, so don’t expect to have access to this feature before the official release of iOS 14 to the public this fall.
