Android has long allowed you to set your favorite web browser and mail client as the default, while Apple iOS has obstinately forced you to use Safari and its own Mail apps in iOS whenever you click on a web or mail link. Until now.

With iOS 14, you finally have a choice. Apple has not implemented the capability in an obvious way, though, so here's how to have all links open in your browser and email app of choice.

Apple's mobile browsing system is frustrating. If you open a web link from an app or an email message, you're plunked into Safari, where synced passwords and other settings are lost if you usually use a competing browser on the desktop. Ditto for email links, which is especially irksome for users of the very popular Outlook for iOS email client.

I should note that what is considered a third-party web browser in iOS is still actually Safari underneath. What you're getting when you use, say, Firefox for iOS, is the interface and convenience features that the developers have built into that browser app. As mentioned, syncing passwords and favorites with the desktop version is the biggie, but it's not the only such convenience. By contrast, when you install Firefox on an Android phone, you're actually getting the full Firefox rendering engine running the web show. (This may be why the innovative Vivaldi browser makers decided not to even produce an iOS version.)

Nevertheless, I was excited when I encountered the discreetly presented item above in the full list of updates available in iOS 14. But there's no section in the iOS Settings app entitled Default Apps. It took me a little digging to find, but if you simply update the apps you want to set as the default, you may encounter a splash or welcome screen that explains the process. Otherwise, you need to burrow into app settings.

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Apple has release a minor update to address the resetting of default browser and mail client, iOS version 14.0.1. The update also fixes some other issues, so it's worth your while to head to Settings > General > Software Update. For me, the fix didn't take hold until after phone restart, for what its worth.

How to Set Your Default Browser in iOS 14

1. Update your browser in the App Store. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, Firefox, Opera, and Brave haven't implemented the ability to be set as the default browser. I hope that changes soon. Surprisingly, the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo browser does have the capability to be the default.
2. Open the main iOS Settings app (note that the settings inside the app don't usually include the option) and scroll down to entry for the browser you want to become the default. As mentioned, unlike other operating systems, Apple iOS doesn't include a section for choosing default apps in Settings.
3. Tap on the browser's entry, and then scan down the Allow Access section until you find the Default Browser App option.
4. Tap on the Default Browser App option.
5. Choose the browser you want to set as the default from the list, and you're all set. From now on, web pages will open in your favorite web-browsing app. If you want to switch browsers again later, go to the Safari section of the main Settings app, where you'll see the option to set any eligible browser as the default.

After updating from the App Store, some browser apps display a splash page encouraging you to set it as the default. It's surprising that Chrome is not among these—you have to follow the above steps if that's your browser of choice. Edge does show the splash screen on first run after updating. I expect that all the major browsers will eventually ask you to make their app the default on first run after an update. Those browsers that display the suggestion simplify the process by linking you directly to the relevant option.

How to Set Your Default Email Client in iOS 14

The process for setting your default mail client is similar to that for setting your default web browser. It's probably a little less crucial than the web browser, but I'm used to conveniences offered for composing emails by Outlook, so it's jarring to be sent to Apple Mail by default. As it happens, users of the Gmail or Yahoo Mail apps can't yet set those to the default. For now, the only well-known options are Apple Mail and Outlook.

1. Update your mail app of choice in the App Store.
2. Open the Settings app and scroll down to your email app.
3. Tap on the app's entry in the list.
4. Find the Default Mail App entry and tap on it.
5. Tap on the app you want to use for any email links, and you're good to go.

If you don't already have the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system installed, you can read how to get iOS 14 and how to uninstall the public beta. Look for a full review of iOS 14 on PCMag in the coming days.