Some of the major changes that Apple is bringing to European users in its upcoming iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates are specifically in the choice of default browser. These changes are aimed at EU users and are intended to give users more freedom and flexibility in choosing their default browser.
In iOS 17.4, EU users have been able to randomly select a default browser from the top 12 browsers in their country. In a future iOS 18 update, this browser selection window will pop up again if users have Safari set by default, giving users a better selection experience. The new browser selection screen will include a one-line description of the browser and allow users to set the default browser directly in the selection window. If the user selects a browser that is already installed on the device, that browser will open automatically; if it is not installed, the system will display a download icon and open the browser when the download is complete.
It's important to note that only users who have Safari as their default browser will see this option again, so if EU users have already selected Chrome as their default browser, this selection window will not pop up again in the upcoming iOS 18 update. Users will also see this selection screen on all devices, not just on one. This interface will show up the first time Safari is opened after the update. Users who have replaced Safari with the new default browser on the Home screen or Dock, the Safari icon will be replaced with the newly set default browser icon.
Additionally, when a user migrates to a new device, this default browser selection pop-up will also be displayed on the new device if the Safari browser was previously set by default.
The changes only apply to iPhone and iPad users in the EU and will not be rolled out to other countries such as the US.
More information about these changes can be found on theApple Developer SiteFind on.
