Set the Android Browser Home Page
Want to change the home page on your Android device's web browser? Depending on which app you are using, you'll have different options available to you. The stock Android browser app allows you to set traditional home pages, but Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox do not. You can still get some of the same functionality out of these apps, and in some cases even more. See Step 1 below to learn how.
Contents
Steps
Changing the Stock Browser
- Open the browser. Tap the browser icon on your Home screen or app drawer. It typically has a globe icon and is labeled "Internet" or "Browser".
- If your phone came installed with Chrome instead, see the Tips section.
- Open the menu. You can either press the Menu button on your device, or tap the Menu button icon in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
- Tap Settings. This will open a new screen that allows you to adjust various aspects of your browser app.
- Tap General. Some versions of the Android browser have a General section. Tap this to access the home page settings. If you don't have a "General" option, skip to the next step.
- Tap "Set home page". This will open a text field which allows you to type the page that you want to open when the browser starts for the first time.
- If you want to use the page you are currently viewing as your home page, tap "Use current page".
- Make sure that you type the address in correctly, or the site you want will not load.
- Tap OK to save. Your new home page is set, and it will open the next time the browser is restarted. Since Android allows for multitasking, the page you are currently viewing may still pop up when you open the browser up next time.
Changing Firefox for Android
- Open Firefox. Firefox doesn't allow you to set a traditional home page, but you can adjust the options to feature a list of top sites or your bookmarks. This will allow you to quickly choose the site you want to load.
- Open a new tab. If you already have a website open, open a new tab to make your changes. Tap the Tabs icon at the top of the window and then tap the "+" icon. The new tab will have multiple options listed beneath the address bar that can be swiped between: Top Sites, History, Bookmarks, and Reading List.
- Add sites to your Top Sites screen. Click the "+" icon in the empty boxes to add sites. A new window will appear with a few of your top-visited sites and a search box to enter a site in manually.
- You can change the existing sites in your Top Sites screen by long-pressing the box and then selecting Edit from the menu.
- Add sites to your Bookmarks list. As your browse the internet on Firefox, you can quickly add any site you visit to your Bookmarks list. This will allow you to easily access them later.
- To bookmark a site, open the site in the browser and then tap the Menu button in the upper-right corner. Tap the empty Star (☆) icon to add the site to your Bookmarks list.
- Fill your bookmarks with your favorite sites to make selecting them later easier.
- Set either Top Sites or your Bookmarks as your home page. Now that you've populated these screens with some sites, you can set either of them to appear as default when a new tab is opened or the program is starting for the first time.
- Tap the Menu button and select Settings. Tap Customize and then tap Home. Select the tab that you want to appear as default by tapping on it and select "Set as default".
- This can actually be more powerful than having a single home page, as it gives you many more options with only one extra tap.
Tips
- Chrome for Android doesn't allow you to set a home page. Instead, it will show a selection of suggested sites based on your browsing habits. If you usually set your home page as a search engine, type your search into the Chrome address bar instead to perform a Google search.
Warnings
- If your home page is changing on your Android without your express consent, you may have some kind of malicious program. Running anti-virus on your Android would be a good idea.
