Manage Your Default Apps in One Place in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2

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Written By Elliott Natale
A hand holding an iPhone displaying the “Default Apps” settings screen, showing Gmail as the default email app and Arc Search as the default browser, with shelves of boxes and office supplies in the background.

An unheralded feature in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 helps you manage the default apps on your iPhone and iPad. A default app is one that opens automatically for a particular function, like opening a Web link or inserting a saved password. Previously, the only way to change a default app was within the settings for that app, but now you can go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps to see and set all your options in one place. The Calling and Messaging options are new in 18.2, but Apple hasn’t yet given any third-party apps permission to appear in those lists. This new screen isn’t that big of a deal, but we wanted to use it as a reminder that alternatives to Mail and Safari might better fit your needs.

3 iPhone screens displaying the Default Apps settings: the first shows the main menu with selected defaults, the second shows Gmail chosen as the default email app, and the third shows Arc Search selected as the default browser among other options.
Elliott Natale
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