On June 9, Apple is expected to unveil iOS 19 at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Although the tech giant has not disclosed any information on the future iPhone software, there are claims that iOS 19 may overhaul your iPhone’s apps, icons, and other features. However, iOS 18.2, which Apple published in December, makes it simpler to switch the default applications on your iPhone.

See also: All the Information You Require About iOS 18

The applications that your iPhone automatically launches in certain scenarios are known as your default apps. For instance, your iPhone will launch the Phone app and make a call to the number you press on a webpage. However, you may now choose Firefox or any other browser software as your iPhone’s default call app if you want to use it.

How to modify the default applications on your iPhone

1. Go to Settings; 2. Select Apps; 3. Select Default Apps

You may choose from this menu to modify the iPhone’s default app categories. The categories you may modify are shown below, along with Apple’s explanation of each:

iOS 18.5’s Default Apps menu.
App Installation is one of the alternatives that is limited to certain areas.
*App installation for Select a different app store to use by default rather than the App Store.
Browser app: When opening links to websites, choose an alternative program to use in place of Safari.
Calling: To make calls, use a different app other than the Phone or FaceTime apps.
Call filtering: Select an app to prevent undesirable calls and display caller ID.
*Contactless app: To use the built-in technology on your smartphone to conduct contactless transactions, choose an alternative app.
Email: When accessing links to send emails, choose a different app rather than the Mail app.
Keyboard: Select an application to use for system-wide text entering capabilities.
Messaging: To send instant messages, open links in a different app rather than the Messages app.
Navigation*: When opening links for a place, choose a different app to use rather than the Apple Maps app.
Password and codes: To use Password AutoFill in Safari and other applications, choose an alternative app to the Passwords app.
Translation: When translating chosen text, pick a different app to use instead of the Translate app. *Only accessible in certain countries and areas.

You may switch the default app by tapping on any of these categories. A category on your iPhone will either display Apple’s app or nothing if you don’t have a third-party app installed.

Was it not possible to modify my default applications earlier?

Yes, in some situations. In 2020, Apple introduced iOS 14, which allowed you to customize the default email and browser applications on your iPhone. Prior to iOS 18.2, you could also adjust a few more categories, such as Keyboard, although the settings were dispersed around the device.

iOS 18.2 introduces a few new categories, such as Messaging and Calling, and consolidates those categories in one location on your iPhone.