Third-Party Default Email and Browser Apps in iOS 14 Reset After App Updates
With iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, Apple allowed users to select third-party apps as the default email app and browser. Last month, a widespread bug reverted these settings to Apple's default apps whenever a user's device was rebooted.
Although that bug was fixed, a new bug in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 is now afflicting the selection of third-party email apps and browsers. It appears that whenever a selected third-party app is updated, the default app selection for email app or browser is reset to Apple's Mail or Safari.

The Verge has now confirmed that whenever you update your chosen default app via the App Store in iOS 14.1, it gets removed from the default app slot.
Users should be aware that they will need to re-select their preferences every time a third-party mail app or browser that has been set as default is updated. You may wish to avoid updating your preferred third-party browser or mail app until it is convenient to reselect the default in settings, or until Apple has released a fix.
However, MacRumors understands that the bug may have already been fixed in the iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 betas.
The likes of Chrome, Edge, DuckDuckGo, and Firefox can be set as default browsers, while Gmail, Spark, and Microsoft Outlook can be set as default Mail apps, among others. Users who prefer an alternative to Safari or Apple's native Mail app can choose an alternative and it should be opened automatically whenever the system requires it, providing the app has not recently been updated, that is.
Popular Stories
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week.
Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far.
Apple Intelligence for Siri
Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.
In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again.
This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead.
There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event:
...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech.
iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech
In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note.
Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal.
That's no longer...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation iPhone SE.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
In a social media post on Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of...