How to change a browser's homepage

Updated: 05/03/2022 by Computer Hope
Internet browsers

Many of us have a favorite or frequently-visited website that we would like to display when opening a browser or clicking the home button. The following sections contain information on how to change the homepage for many of the popular Internet browsers. To proceed, select your browser from the list below and follow the steps.

Note

If you use multiple browsers, when you change the browsers homepage it only affects that browser, not all browsers.

Chrome logo

Google Chrome

In the Google Chrome browser, a new homepage and startup page can be set. The following sections show you how to do both.

How to change your homepage

This option requires you to first enable the Home button in Chrome, and then set a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the homepage.

  1. Open the Chrome browser.
  2. Click Menu Chrome Menu Icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Settings selector in Chrome.

  1. Select the Appearance tab on the left side of the screen.

Chrome Appearances selector.

  1. Under the Appearance section, set the toggle switch next to Show home button to the on Toggle on position.
  2. Type in a new home page URL and click the radio button next to it.

Setting a homepage in Chrome.

  1. In the upper-left corner of the browser, next to the address bar, click the Chrome Home icon. icon to test out your new homepage.

How to change your startup page

This option changes the page that loads when you first open the browser.

Note

If you add multiple pages using this option, Chrome loads them all when it launches.

  1. Open the Chrome browser.
  2. Click Menu Chrome Menu Icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
  4. Select the On startup tab on the left side of the screen.

Chrome Appearances selector.

  1. In the center of the screen, click the radio button next to Open a specific page or set of pages. To add a new startup page, click Add a new page.

Chrome Add a new page link.

  1. Type in the URL of the page and click the Add button.

Adding a new startup page in Chrome.

Tip

The entries you see listed open when you launch Chrome. To remove any extras, click the Chrome menu icon. icon to the right of it and select Remove.

Tip

To set the page(s) you currently have open as your startup page, click the Use Current pages button.

Firefox logo

Mozilla Firefox

To change the homepage in the Mozilla Firefox browser, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser.
  2. Click the Menu Firefox Menu Icon icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
  4. On the left, click the Home selector.

Firefox Home tab

  1. Under the Home section, click the box next to Homepage and new windows.

Homepage and new windows

  1. Select Custom URLs from the drop-down menu.

Custom URLs selector

  1. Type in the URL for your desired homepage.

New homepage URL

  1. In the upper-left corner of the browser, click the Home Firefox Home Icon icon to test out your new homepage.
Tip

To set the page you currently have open as your homepage, click the Use Current page button. Use Bookmark lets you choose from a previously-stored favorite.

Microsoft Edge logo

Microsoft Edge

To change the homepage in the Microsoft Edge browser, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
  2. Click the More More Actions button icon in the upper-right corner.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
  4. On the left side of the page, click the Appearance selector.

Appearance selector in Edge.

  1. In the Customize toolbar section, click the toggle switch next to Show home button so that it's in the on Toggle switch on position (A). Then, click the second radio button and type in the URL for your preferred homepage (B). Finally, click the Save button (C).

Setting a new homepage in Edge.

  1. In the upper-left corner of the browser, click the Edge Home icon icon to test out your new homepage.
Microsoft Edge Legacy logo

Microsoft Edge Legacy

To change the homepage in the Microsoft Edge Legacy browser, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the Microsoft Edge Legacy browser.
  2. Click the More More Actions button icon in the upper-right corner.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
  4. Under the Open Microsoft Edge with section, select A specific page or pages.
  5. Enter the web address you'd like for your homepage and click the Microsoft Edge save icon icon.
  6. In the upper-left corner of the browser, click the Edge Home icon icon to test out your new homepage.
Tip

To add more homepages to choose from, click + Add new page and repeat the steps above.

Tip

To remove a homepage option, click the X to the right of the entry.

Internet Explorer logo

Internet Explorer

To change the homepage in the Internet Explorer browser, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser.
  2. Click Tools Internet explorer tools icon in the upper-right corner.
  3. Select Internet Options from the drop-down menu.

Internet Options selector.

  1. Under the General tab, in the Home page section, type the URL of the web page you want to set as your home page (A). Then, click Apply (B) and OK (C).

Setting homepage in Internet Explorer.

  1. To see if your new homepage is set correctly, click the Home IE Home Icon icon.
Tip

If you want the page you have open set as your homepage, click the Use Current button.

Safari logo

Safari

To change the homepage in the Safari browser, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the Safari browser.
  2. Click the Safari selector in macOS. selector in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  3. Select Settings... from the drop-down menu.

Settings selector in Safari.

  1. Under the General tab in the Home page field, type the URL of the web page you want to set.

Setting the homepage in Safari.

  1. Close the current window.
  2. To see if your new homepage is set correctly, click the Home icon.
Tip

If you want the page you have open set as your homepage, click the Set to Current Page button.

Opera logo

Opera

Opera no longer has a Home button or homepage setting like most other browsers. The only option is to change the startup page that loads when you open the browser.

Note

If you add multiple pages using this option, Opera loads them all when it launches.

  1. Open the Opera browser.
  2. Click the Opera menu button button in the upper-left corner.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Opera settings selector.

  1. On the left side of the tab that appears, click Privacy & security.

Privacy and security selector.

  1. Scroll down to the On startup section. Click the radio button next to Open a specific page or set of pages. To add a new homepage, click Add a new page.

Opera Add a new page link.

  1. Type in the URL of the page and click the Add button.

Adding a new startup page in Opera.

Tip

The entries you see listed open when you launch Opera. To remove any extras, click the Chrome menu icon. icon to the right of it, and select Remove.

Tip

To set the page you currently have open as your homepage, click the Use Current page button.