Links open in separate app, but I want Safari

Using iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 18.5. When I tap on a link like https://maps.google.com/maps/, it opens the Google Maps app, but I prefer to open it in Safari in a new tab. I’ve tried Googling how to do this, but everything I’m finding has a method that may be old. For example, the instructions I found say to go into Settings, Safari app, and look for “Open Links in Apps”. But that’s not there. There’s an option that says “Open Links”, and tapping on that reveals 2 options: “In New Tab”, or “In Background”. The instructions I found say to scroll down the list of apps to the Google Maps app and turn it off. There is no list of apps. Here are the instructions I was following:


To ensure iPhone links open in Safari instead of Google Maps, you'll need to configure your device's settings. This involves going to Settings > Safari > Open Links in Apps, and toggling off the switch next to Google Maps.Alternatively, you can set Safari as your default browser in Settings > Safari > Default Browser App

Here's a step-by-step guide:

  1. Open Settings: Locate and tap on the Settings app icon on your iPhone's home screen. 
  2. Access Safari: Scroll down and tap on "Safari". 
  3. Open Links in Apps: Scroll down further and tap on "Open Links in Apps". 
  4. Toggle Google Maps: Locate Google Maps in the list and tap the switch next to it to turn it off. This will prevent Google Maps from opening links in its own browser. 
  5. Set Safari as Default (Optional): If you want to ensure all links open in Safari, you can also go to Settings > Safari > Default Browser App and choose Safari. 

By following these steps, you can ensure that web links within Google Maps (and other apps) open in Safari instead of within the Google Maps app itself. 


As I stated above, it fails at “Open Links in Apps” which doesn’t exist, and no list of apps to turn off a switch. Anybody have another idea? Thanks.

iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 18

Posted on May 23, 2025 06:16 PM

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19 replies

May 24, 2025 02:19 AM in response to jla930

jla930 wrote: "...I would expect and hope that a link that points to something that I do have an app for (like Google Maps) will still open in Safari. It doesn’t. Why not?..."

Because Google Maps supports 'universal links' so that "When users tap or click a universal link, the system redirects the link directly to your app without routing through the person’s default web browser...":


Allowing apps and websites to link to your content | Apple Developer Documentation


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May 24, 2025 05:26 AM in response to jla930

jla930 wrote:


LD150 wrote:

"When I tap on a link like https://maps.google.com/maps/, it opens the Google Maps app,"

Of course it does, that is what the link is asking for!

It is? The link is a URL designed to be opened in a browser. It’s not a command to open an app. This is my whole point here. If I come across a link to go to adobe.com, but I don’t have any Adobe apps, the link will open within Safari. Likewise, I would expect and hope that a link that points to something that I do have an app for (like Google Maps) will still open in Safari. It doesn’t. Why not? Why do I apparently have no choice to set a default? No, the link is not asking for an app.

You used Google Maps as the example , Google does not have a web map

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Links open in separate app, but I want Safari

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