For instructions on how to change your browser start page (the page that opens by default when you launch your web browser) using any one of the following web browsers – Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari or Vivaldi, please continue reading.
Please note: although this article was initially published back in 2006, it has been updated to be current as of 2020.
Select your web browser from the list below:
Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Vivaldi
Setting your homepage in Google Chrome
- Start by clicking the Customize and control Google Chrome button from the upper-right corner of the browser window – it’s the one that looks like 3 dots (see screenshot below). Select Settings from the list of options.
- From the Settings column on the left side of the window, select On startup
- Choose Open a page or specific set of pages and then Add a new page
- Enter the address of the page you’d like Google Chrome to consider its homepage and then click the Add button. Repeat if you want more than one page to open when Chrome does.
Setting your homepage in Microsoft Edge
- To change your default homepage in Edge, start by clicking the Settings and more button (the one that looks like 3 dots in the upper-right corner of the browser, see screenshot below)
- Select Settings from the list of options.
- Scroll to the General section and then locate the Set you home page item. Click the menu item titled Start Page
- Select A specific page from the menu and then enter the address you’d like Edge to consider the homepage. When you’re done, click the Save button.
Setting your homepage in Firefox
- To change your default home page in Firefox, start by clicking the Open menu button (the one with 3-dashes on top of each other, see screenshot below) from the upper-right corner of the window and then Options from that list.
- Select Home from the column on the left.
- Locate the New Windows and Tabs section. To set a custom homepage for when Firefox starts or opens a new window, click the drop-down menu next to Homepage and new windows (by default it will say Firefox Home (Default))
- Select Custom URLs…
- Enter the address of the website you’d like to automatically open when Firefox launches or you open a new Firefox window.
- The behaviour for opening a new tab is a bit different though – you can only choose between the Firefox Homepage or a ‘blank’ page.
Change the Start Page in Opera
- Start by clicking the Easy setup button from the upper-right corner of the browser window (see screenshot below).
- Scroll all the way down through the various options and click the link titled Go to browser settings
- Locate the On startup panel and then select the Open a specific page or set of pages option.
- Enter the URL you’d like to set as your homepage in Opera and then click the Add button.
Setting your homepage in Safari
- To change your default homepage in Safari, start by selecting Safari from the Apple menu and then Preferences… from the drop-down list
- Select the General tab and then enter the website address you wish to have as your ‘start’ page in the Homepage: field. In all likelihood you’ll also want to change the New window opens with: and New tab opens with: fields to Homepage – otherwise your bookmarks will be displayed each time you open your browser or a new window/tab.
Change the Start Page in Vivaldi
- Open Vivaldi, select File and then Preferences
- Select General from the list of options in the left panel. Locate the STARTUP section, and then the Homepage section. Make sure to check Specific Page and enter the address of the site you’d like to use as your start page. If you want this to be the page that appears every time you open Vivaldi, place a check in the box next to Homepage in the Startup with section.
Now you know how to change the start page for your browser!
