How to Set Firefox Focus as Default Web Browser

Nowadays, people want a more secure and protected platform when surfing the net. Mozilla Foundation, as a leading software corporation, decided to embrace this trend by releasing Firefox Focus.

What is Firefox Focus?

Firefox Focus is a lightweight, open-source mobile tracker-blocking web browser initially designed for iOS devices. It is now available for both Android and iOS systems. Firefox Focus is often treated as a go-to alternative for folks who need a safe space while engaging in online activities. This is especially true if they can potentially compromise users’ sensitive information while conducting business, e.g., e-banking.

Firefox Focus protects your browser from malicious attacks, blocking online trackers that can monitor your movement on the internet. When a third-party is tracking your activity, they can use the gathered information for advertising purposes, or worse, they can steal your private data to harm you directly. One of the things Firefox Focus does to combat this is to prevent users from accessing fraudulent sites. This way, fewer people become victims of scams.

Additionally, the Firefox Focus browser can potentially improve your browsing speed. The browser blocks ads, analytics, and social trackers that may take up your internet bandwidth.

Setting Firefox Focus as Default Browser on Android

How to set Firefox Focus as your default web browser depends on the version of Android you’re using. We’ll start explaining this by going from the most recent software to the older software models.

For Android 7 and above

1. Open the installed Firefox Focus app.
2. Tap on the More Options icon at the top-right corner of the app and select Settings.
3. Choose the General option.
4. Tap on Make Firefox Focus Default Browser. You’ll be taken into the Settings app.
5. On the Settings app, select the Browser app and choose Firefox Focus.

For Android 6

1. Open your Settings app and choose Apps & Notifications. This option may appear as Applications or Apps depending on the Android device you are using.
2. Tap on Advanced, then select Default Apps.
3. Choose the Browser app to apply a default browser.
4. Tap on Firefox Focus.

For Android 5 and below

For older Androids, setting a default browser is rather complicated. To start things off, you first need to ‘un-default’ the current default browser. Typically, this is the built-in Browser or Internet app.

1. Go to your Settings app and select Apps. It may also be called Applications or Application Manager on some Android devices.
2. Go to the All tab.
3. Tap on your current default browser. As mentioned before, it is usually the built-in Browser or Internet app.
4. Once you go to the App info menu, tap on the Clear Defaults button. If the Clear defaults button is greyed out, then most likely, you have no other browser installed, or the current browser is not actually set to default  (e.g., you forgot that you already set another browser as the default). Make sure you’ve already installed Firefox Focus on your phone and/or try to tap the Clear defaults button for other installed browsers.

The preliminary steps are done. Next, you need to set Firefox Focus as the default browser.

1. Open any link. One of the easiest ways to do this is by going to your email application and clicking on one of the links attached to an email. Remember only to click links coming from a trusted source.
2. If you correctly tapped the Clear Defaults button for the default browser in the previous step, then a prompt asking you which new default browser the phone should use will appear.
3. Select Firefox Focus and tap on Always.

Setting Firefox Focus as Default Browser on iOS

Using Firefox Focus on an iOS system can be done in two ways. You can either enable Firefox Focus to use alongside Safari or use Focus as a standalone browser. Sadly, unless you jailbreak, you can’t choose another browser apart from Safari as the default app.

Use Safari with Firefox Focus as a tracking and content blocker

As you can’t treat other browsers as a default, this feature should come in handy. You can still get the desired protection from Firefox Focus while using Safari.

1. From your Settings app, scroll down until you find Safari. Tap it.
2. Under the General section, choose Content Blockers.
3. Turn on the toggle next to Firefox Focus.
4. Afterward, close your Settings app and open up the Firefox Focus app.
5. Open the Settings menu by tapping the cog icon at the top-right of the screen.
6. Under the Integration section, enable the toggle next to Safari.

Now, you are set to browse safely on Safari with the protection provided by Firefox Focus. Every time you fire up Safari, you can rest assured that your activity is protected and optimized by Focus.

Conclusion

Firefox Focus can be of great benefit to you, whether you use Android or iOS. It will increase the security of your web browser, which means it will increase the privacy of your web activity.