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If a link keeps leaving your browser and opening an app, start by setting your preferred default browser. If the link still launches an app, the cause is likely a separate app-to-website association or a browser-specific setting. Firefox for Android has a direct Never option; on iPhone and Windows, the available controls work differently.

First, tell a default-browser setting from an app link

A default browser determines which browser handles ordinary web links. It does not necessarily prevent an app associated with a website from opening when you tap a supported link. The setting you need depends on where you tapped the link, your operating system, and your browser.

  • If you tapped a link inside a browser, check that browser’s setting for opening links in apps.
  • If you tapped a link inside another app, that app may handle links according to its own behavior. The platform guidance below does not establish one setting that overrides every app.
  • If changing the default browser did not help, check for an app-and-website association rather than assuming the browser choice failed.

Android: choose a browser, or use Firefox’s app-link control

Set the default browser

Google’s Android Help documents this route: open Settings > Apps > Default apps (on some devices, Choose default apps) > Browser app, then select your browser. This chooses the browser for ordinary web links; Google’s instructions do not describe it as a universal switch for disabling links associated with apps. Menu labels can differ by Android version and device maker. Google’s instructions for changing the default browser

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Stop Firefox for Android from opening links in apps

Mozilla documents a browser-specific control in Firefox for Android: tap the three-dot menu > Settings > Advanced > Open links in apps, then choose Never. The other choices are Always and Ask before opening. This preference controls Firefox’s behavior, not every browser or app on the phone. Mozilla’s support article was last updated September 8, 2024. Mozilla’s Firefox for Android instructions

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iPhone: select a browser, but understand Universal Links

Change the default browser

On iOS 26, Apple’s documented path is Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Browser App. Choose a supported browser. This changes the browser used for web links; it is not a guaranteed switch to stop all links from opening apps. Apple’s iPhone instructions for changing default apps

Why a link can still open an app

Apple’s Universal Links connect an app with its website through a two-way association that the website verifies using a file on its server. Apple describes a distinction based on the domain: when you are browsing a site in Safari and tap a Universal Link for that same domain, it stays in Safari; a link for a different domain can open the associated app. So the default-browser choice and the app’s website association address different parts of link routing. Apple’s explanation of app and website links

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Windows: review app-to-website associations

Windows provides an Apps for websites page where you can review registered app-and-site associations. Open Settings > Apps > Apps for websites. The page lets you inspect associations; Microsoft’s documentation does not establish it as a universal off switch for every app link. Microsoft’s documentation on apps for websites

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Browser behavior can also matter. Microsoft documents that supported links clicked in Microsoft Edge Legacy launch the associated app, while supported browsers including Chromium-based Edge and Firefox keep the user in the browsing experience. This is specific to the browser and supported-link behavior Microsoft describes, not a guarantee for every link or future version of Windows and browsers.

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Use this troubleshooting order

  1. Identify where you tapped the link. Note whether it was inside a browser or another app, and record the app that opened.
  2. Set your preferred default browser. Use the Android or iPhone path above. On Windows, check the relevant app and browser settings for your setup.
  3. If you use Firefox for Android, choose Never. This is the direct documented control for preventing Firefox from opening links in native apps.
  4. If the app still opens, check for an association. On Windows, review Apps for websites. On iPhone, consider whether an Apple Universal Link is involved; a default-browser change alone may not prevent it.
  5. If the steps do not match your device, seek version-specific guidance. Include your operating-system version, browser, and the app that opens. Menu labels and link-routing behavior vary, and the available Android instructions do not verify every manufacturer’s menus.

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