Changing default browser

[clairevl]

Hi all!

We are currently testing our implementation of Jamf Pro Cloud. I am trying to set Chrome as the default browser for my organization, but I cannot find the option to do that through Jamf. And anything online about this is over a few years old. I just wanted to check in and see if there has been a change to this, or if anyone has a clever way of getting around it!

Thanks!

[Errick_Pfuhl]

There has not been a change afaik due to it being a user based setting. You can always try 

open -a "Google Chrome" --args --make-default-browser

and see if that works. I think it would need to be a script run in a policy once per user / per computer. May also need to run it as the user by following this: https://scriptingosx.com/2020/02/getting-the-current-user-in-macos-update/

[YanW]

This is what I use. We let users pick

#!/bin/bash

osascript <<EOD
set result to button returned of (display dialog "Set default browser to Chrome")
if result = "OK" then
	do shell script ("open -a 'Google Chrome' --args --make-default-browser")
else
	display dialog "No change in the default web browser"
end if
EOD

[jeremyb]

deleted

[jeremyb]

I'm using this this script after Chrome installation. You need to fill parameter 4 with com.google.Chrome. Works after a computer restart.

[Samstar777 · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Here is the easy and best way to manage Chrome Browser through jamf.

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/9923111?hl=en

Regards,

Salim Ukani

[clairevl]

This worked for me! Thanks!

[jonna1006]

Can you show me how to set up chrome as default browser with this? I tried to follow Google's instruction, but could not find any attribute regarding to default browser setting. Another python script is no longer working with latest Monterey update. Thanks!

[LukeMason]

@Samstar777 As with other confused people below, I don't understand how this is marked as the solution.

Your link provides instructions for how to manage updates, but I don't see how you would manage the default browser using this method.  These are 2 different things.

Please provide instructions on how you can use the above link to manage the default browser for a user...

[Samstar777]

Hello Jonna1006,

I have dm you, lets connect over messages or slack so that I can guide you how to do it.

My Slack ID is Samstar777

-Sam

[lturnerz]

I have the same question as Jonna1006. Is there a publicly available document on this?

[Samstar777]

Hello lturnerz: below are very simple steps to manage this through jamf Pro

Deploy Chrome Browser update policies

1. Sign into the Jamf Pro console.
2. On the left, click ComputersConfiguration profiles.
3. On the top right, click New.
4. On the Options tab of your new macOS configuration profile, click Application & custom settings > External applications.
5. On the top right, click Add to add a new configuration. 
6. Under Source, select Repository.
7. In Application domain, select com.google.keystone, then choose the app version and the stable variant.
8. Configure the values as needed under the Google Chrome section.
9. Name the profile and assign it to any other configuration profile in Jamf Pro. 
10. Deploy the profile to your machine.

-Sam

[jonna1006]

I am very new to this, can you show me a screenshot on how to set Chrome as default browser? Thanks!

[jeremyb]

I don't think you can make Chrome the default system browser within the Chrome update policy. This thread is so confusing, people are talking about two different things here. You should take a look at this bash script I posted earlier. It's still working for me on 12.2 after a Mac reboot.

[jonna1006]

I have tried the script, but it did work at my end, is something I have to change to make it work?

[lturnerz]

Many thanks, Samstar777!

[jonna1006]

iMazing Profile Editor did the trick for default browser setting, kudos to Jamf Support team!!

[McGinn]

How did you do this with iMazing Profile Editor?  What payload did you edit to set the default browser?

[jonna1006]

It is the first page of Chrome configuration page, just check the box and it will force a pop message to ask user which is default browser.

[noobody]

How does this work in your environment once deployed? From my testing, if a user doesn't already have Chrome set as the default browser in System Preferences>General>Default Web Browser, once a user opens Chrome they are not prompted to select the default browser without first having to click the Set as Default button anyway. Meaning, it's the same as doing nothing at all.

Is this what you are experiencing as well? This is happening on a couple of test machines running Big Sur.

[jonna1006]

Never tested on Big Sur, but for Monterey, it should have a pop initiation let the user to confirm which is default browser once the user login to the Mac.

[noobody]

Without launching a browser at all? Interesting.  I'm gonna update to Monterey to see if there is any change to the way the profile works there.

Thanks.

[jonna1006]

It has been a while, but I do not recall that I have to open the browser to see the pop-up notification.

[noobody]

No change after upgrading my M1 Mac to Monterey and testing this. Are you also deploying to M1 Macs or Intel Macs only (wonder if there is something happening there)? You mind pasting your PLIST from your config to compare?

[jonna1006]

I just finished setup for couple M1 Pro MBP, no issue from my end. If you are using iMazing Profile Editor, make sure you sign the profile before uploading to Jamf cloud.

[jonna1006]

I recently tested on both x86 and ARM MBP, and once you open Chrome for the first time, there will be prompt to ask which browser you want to set as default.

[briansolis]

Hi Jonna, Would be kind enough to show me the steps that you did on Imazing? Sorry Im new with jamf as well

[jonna1006]

You can check below link:

https://imazing.com/guides/getting-started-with-imazing-profile-editor

[noobody]

For those still wondering, you'll need to use iMazing Profile Editor to create the config profile with the Google Chrome payload which includes the Set Google Chrome as the default web browser option which is all you need and then to sign the profile.

The part where I was having trouble was the importing of this profile into Jamf Pro because in Jamf Pro after importing the signed profile, no payload showed up for this profile in Jamf Pro. I did not realize that this was normal because Jamf Pro has no corresponding Google Chrome payload. But once you deploy it out it should work to prompt the user to choose their default browser when they launch Google Chrome.

TLDR: Sign the iMazing profile before importing it in Jamf Pro or it won't work.

[YanW]

Doing all that to get a prompt, what's the different from my script above which also prompt user to set Chrome as default? 

[noobody]

No difference at all. In fact, your script looks to be a better option as it requires much less legwork.

[McGinn]

I think the config profile is better because it’s forced where as the script needs to run at least once.

[jmancuso]

https://chromeenterprise.google/policies/?policy=DefaultBrowserSettingEnabled here is the syntax for the https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/9923111?hl=en workflow. like you would for a plist you enter in the syntax given from the first article in save. scope and test. Although, this is not practical for engineering orgs. As if you set it to true it hardens itself to Chrome. Blank lets the user decide. 

[MatG]

This is all you need, user will get the prompt on launch of Chrome though.

[difultonhoward]

Can you post that plist in text form, so I don't have to manually transcribe what's in the screenshot?

[adorablemachine]

Here's an example of how the .plist key value pairs should be set to enable Google Chrome as the default browser:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>DefaultBrowserSettingEnabled</key>
<true/>
</dict>
</plist>

User is prompted to change the default browser to Chrome upon launch.

[MatG]