Chrome for iOS Beta now shows default browser instructions in a picture-in-picture (PiP) overlay on top of the iOS Settings screen. In Chrome Beta, the “Default browser” section includes step-by-step text and a short animation that explain how to set Chrome as the default browser on iPhone.
When users tap “Go to Settings,” Chrome opens the Default Apps page in iOS Settings and keeps a small PiP animation in the corner of the screen. The animation walks through the steps in Settings and highlights choosing Chrome instead of Safari under the Browser App option.
The PiP window stays visible while the Settings page loads. Users can follow the animation and repeat the same steps on their device.
Apple first added support for changing the default browser with iOS 14 through an option inside the Settings app under Default Apps. Many iPhone owners still overlook this setting.
Chrome now shows an animation that points users directly to the setting.
Google is testing this experiment as “Default Browser Promo Picture in Picture” behind a flag in Chrome. Some variants enable a picture-in-picture instruction overlay, while others open the Default Apps page without the floating animation.
Normally, iOS apps disappear once users leave them. Chrome cannot control the Settings interface.
The browser instead keeps a small instruction overlay on screen while users complete the process in Settings. The overlay behaves like standard video picture-in-picture on iOS.
It floats above other screens and stays visible as users move between different pages inside the Settings app.
Chrome already offers an option that lets users import bookmarks, history, and passwords from Safari. The new picture-in-picture instructions also show users how to select Chrome as the default browser.
