Why Can’t I Change the Default Browser and Email App on iPhone in iOS 14 Beta?

With the arrival of  iOS 14, Apple is finally opening up its walled garden a bit and allowing users to change the default browser and mail app on their iPhone or iPad to a third-party app of their choice. Despite this being a major usability win, Apple did not talk about this feature when it introduced iOS 14 at its virtual WWDC event this year and only highlighted the feature in passing as an overview of all the new features in iOS 14.

Since the ability to change the default browser and email app on iPhones is a big deal, many users must have jumped on the iOS 14 public beta bandwagon to try out this feature only to not find the option anywhere. The reason you cannot find the option to change the default browser and email apps in iOS 14 beta is a simple one — Apple has not included the feature in the OS yet.

Apple has already detailed the requirements that third-party browser and mail apps must meet so that they can be set as the default app in iOS 14.

Unlike some of the major other changes in iOS 14, the ability to change the default system app is a relatively simple one and should not take Apple so long to implement. The company, however, is likely planning on adding this feature with the golden master release of iOS 14 or towards the end of the beta cycle of the OS. Sadly, there’s not much that can be done here and one can only hope that Apple gets around to adding the ability to change the default browser and mail app in iOS 14 with an upcoming beta release.