webloc default app locked

Updating to Mac OS 13.2 fixes the problem. After the update, double clicking a webloc file again opens the website in the default browser.

If your Mac supported Mac OS 13.1 (when they caused the problem) then your Mac should support 13.2 (when they fixed the problem).

Based on the following reply, this seems to be known and expected: error code -10823 - Apple Community

That written, a potential workaround: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/258033/how-to-change-the-default-application-for-webloc-files

FWIW, I couldn't find the thread but starting with Ventura webloc files are set to open with Safari. You can however right or control click on them and choose which browser you want to open it with. You have to do that every time.

Mjohnsn wrote:

Correct. I found that by right clicking I can choose browser but does not go to my default browser.

FWIW, when I right-click on a .webloc file I can choose to open it with whatever browsers I have installed.

Giving up on creating desktop links as webloc files that will open in default browser and not safari.

Now making desktop links that will open in chrome by creating a shortcut to a website as an app.

1. Open Chrome.
2. Navigate to the website you want to add as an app.
3. At the top right, click More .
4. Click More Tools.
5. Click Create shortcut.
6. Enter a name for the shortcut and click Create.

I am not able to hide the extension name as it is greyed out.

Doesn't seem to help if Brave or Firefox is default browser.

Not the neatest solution but at least it isn't multiple clicks.

The potential workaround does not work for this in Mac OS 13.1 ... even after removing the file extension .webloc, you cannot change the application to open it. I even tried changing the file extension to something else, which did allow me to change the application, but when I changed it back to webloc, double clicking still opened it with Safari. Oh well.

I am giving up on trying to create desktop links as webloc files that will open in default browser and 'not Safari'.

I am now making desktop links that will open in chrome by creating a shortcut to a website as an app.

1. Open Chrome.
2. Navigate to the website you want to add as an app.
3. At the top right, click More .
4. Click More Tools.
5. Click Create shortcut.
6. Enter a name for the shortcut and click Create.

I am not able to hide the extension name as it is greyed out.

Not the neatest solution but at least it isn't multiple clicks.

Brave has this as well. There are three short horizontal lines on the far right of the toolbar. Click those and it opens the same menu that Chrome has. Choose More tools and Create shortcut. Works well. This might be an alternative to creating webloc files, but it is much more involved.

I also created a quick web page that will convert any webloc file into an html page that immediately loads the url from the webloc file. The web page is at https://www.gradekeeper.com/webloc/

The web page I mentioned earlier extracts the url from the webloc file and creates a small html file with the above code that redirects immediately to the url from the webloc. Opens the page almost as quickly as the webloc, but in your default web browser.

The extension change does not work. It continues to default back to Safari.

XML code shows a reference to a Plist that appears to govern URL behavior?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>URL</key>

<string>https://example.com/</string>

</dict>

</plist>

I have been looking through the library searching for a Plist file that I can try to modify but have been unsuccessful so far.

Correct. I found that by right clicking I can choose browser but does not go to my default browser.

I have been looking for a plist to modify URL behavior so that it will indeed go to my default browser and not to Safari but have been unsuccessful so far.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>URL</key>

<string>https://example.com/</string>

</dict>

</plist>

dialabrain wrote:

FWIW, when I right-click on a .webloc file I can choose to open it with whatever browsers I have installed.

I have to change what I said slightly. For some reason Brave has to be open.

The other disadvantage of the create shortcut is that the application it creates is quite large compared to a webloc or my html redirect files. On the other hand you get a nice icon so the shortcuts don't all look the same!

I tried all the tricks and apparently Apple is ****-bent on making Safari its default browser - a trick that Microsoft foisted upon Windows with Internet Explorer in the early 2000s. Apparently Apple has failed to learn this lesson.

I've purchased Macintosh computers consistently since 1986. My current iMac Pro will be the last Apple product I own. I cannot abide a company that writes software that doesn't trust the user. Adios.