Default browser setting not working

This happens when you take these steps:

1. Install new browser (e.g. Chrome)
2. Open new browser
3. New browser does its usual mithering about not being the default. So you say "yes, set my shiny new browser as the default".
4. You then get an OS X prompt saying "you tried to change the default browser" The options are "Keep Safari" and "Keep Chrome"
5. If you're like me, you don't read this properly, and click the one on the left, because the option you want is usually on the left.
6. You have now told Chrome that you want it to be the default, but OS X that you want to "Keep Safari"
7. The computer is confused.

How to fix it, is to go into the new shiny browser, whereupon it will ask you again if you want to make it the default. Choose to make it the default. When OS X then queries that, click to "Keep Chrome". Now quit all open browsers. Go into the System Preferences, then the General preferences, and you should see that the browser list is populated correctly, and you can make choices in accordance with your preference.

I have no answer for you on how to fix it, but I think I have the same problem, and maybe some more information on why there are two browsers.

Clicking on https links in applications fires up safari. Clicking on http links opens the link in Chrome. I also have Firefox and Firefox developer edition installed (both were already there before I upgraded to El Capitan).

When I open the system preferences menu to set the default web browser, I am presented with an empty list, also with a check mark next to a blank line.

Would love to have this fixed or find a way to fix this, as this is generating a lot of extra copy-paste work for me.

It is now a bit later. I've been in meetings, so have not been able to work on this problem at all, but it has gone away all by itself. https and http links now both open in Chrome, and the drop down list in preferences is now normally populated. it looks like something somewhere in the background has silently fixed this problem.

This happened to me as well on

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)

OS X El Capitan 10.11

Firefox was "open" but no windows were open, it could not be force quit, and the "Default Web Browser" pulldown tab was blank

(I have Safari, Firefox, and Chrome)

However, when I opened Chrome, the menu magically showed "Firefox" as the default web browser and had the entire list once again.

I'm going to try updating to 10.11.1 and see if that fixes it.

I also have a

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)

OS X El Capitan 10.11.1

in front of me and it has not have this issue.

If you don't see a response from me then updating must have fixed it from me ; )

Good Luck!

Okay, so I had this same issue, where the browser dropdown was empty, and any links I clicked opened safari, even when chrome was open.

I think what caused it for me was uninstalling Google Chrome Canary, and installing Google Chrome.

I was able to fix it by going to preferences in Chrome, scrolling to the bottom and clicking "Make Chrome the default browser" (or something like that) under the Default Browser section.

This not only fixed the link opening issue for me, but also fixed the dropdown in System Preferences -> General.

I have the same issue here. Did you find a way to fix it?

Fixed my problem. Great explanation. Thank you.

I had the same issue, found the quick fix. Do NOT go to System Preferences instead Open Safari and go to Safari Preferences, the first drop down should offer the choice of browser.

Then check System Preferences and you should notice under drop down for Default browser all options listed.

Hi;

Tried all the suggestions to no avail. Finally, just restarted and all seems fine.

Chris