# Default Applications

> Send a command to Apple Devices to set which App the system uses by default for calling, messaging and web browsing.

Source: https://docs.applivery.com/en/device-management/apple/apple-commands/default-applications/  •  Last updated: 2026-09-08

**Key topics:** Default Applications command, Bundle identifiers, Supervised device restrictions, Requirements and troubleshooting, Applivery, Apple, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, APNs

---

**TL;DR:** Send the Settings command from an Apple Device's detail page to set the default calling, messaging and browser Apps by bundle identifier. Calling and Messaging need iOS/iPadOS 26.0+; Web Browser reaches further back.

On Apple platforms, which App answers a call, opens a message or handles a link has always been the user's choice. Applivery lets you make that choice for them: from the Device detail page you can send a command that sets the default App for **calling**, **messaging** and **web browsing**, by passing each App's bundle identifier.

This is a one-off command, not a persistent Policy. It sets the defaults at the moment you send it.

## Send the command

**Open the Device**

In the [**Applivery Dashboard**](https://dashboard.applivery.io), go to **Devices** 1 and open the detail page of the Apple Device you want to configure.

**Create a new command**

Select the **Commands** 2 tab and click **\+ New command** 3.

![commands](https://docs.applivery.com/int/_r2/media/09ac0a4e-3ad8-478f-9f15-3474973eec71/f26dea33-bb93-4dd1-aa6a-397ab70404b2.png)

**Choose Settings**

From the list of available commands, select **Settings**, then select **Default Applications**.

**Review the available fields**

The panel that opens shows three fields, each with the platforms and minimum versions it supports.

![default apps](https://docs.applivery.com/int/_r2/media/09ac0a4e-3ad8-478f-9f15-3474973eec71/2ec7b83c-119a-4590-8cbc-2ac1e5b2ca28.png)

<table style="min-width: 75px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Field</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>What it does</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Minimum compatibility shown</p></th></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Calling</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Bundle identifier of the App the system uses as the default calling App. It has to be an App eligible for calling.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>iOS/iPadOS 26.0</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Messaging</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Bundle identifier of the App the system uses as the default messaging App. It has to be an App eligible for messaging.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>iOS/iPadOS 26.0</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Web Browser</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Bundle identifier of the App the system uses as the default web browser. It has to be a browser App eligible for the Device's region.</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>iOS/iPadOS, macOS (10.12 Sierra+), tvOS, watchOS, visionOS</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

:::info
You only need to fill in the field you want to configure. The three are independent of each other.
:::

**Enter the bundle identifier**

Type the **bundle identifier** of the target App in the matching field. Some common values for the Web Browser field:

<table style="min-width: 50px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Browser</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Bundle ID (iOS/iPadOS)</p></th></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Safari</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><code>com.apple.mobilesafari</code></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Google Chrome</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><code>com.google.chrome.ios</code></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Microsoft Edge</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><code>com.microsoft.msedge</code></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Firefox</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><code>org.mozilla.ios.Firefox</code></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

**Send it**

Click **Send** to push the command to the Device.

:::warning
The target App has to be **installed** on the Device before you send the command, and it has to be able to handle the matching content type — calls, messages, or `http` and `https` schemes, depending on the field. That validation is done by the operating system, not by Applivery. The safest approach is to add the App to the Policy as a forced install.
:::

## How it works on Apple's side

This maps to Apple's native `Settings` MDM command with the `DefaultApplications` item, which Apple added to its MDM protocol so default Apps could be set remotely. Unlike configurations that ship as profiles — a `.mobileconfig` with a `PayloadType` — this is a **one-off command** delivered over APNs. Nothing stays installed on the Device as a persistent profile.

### Stop users changing the browser back

The command sets the default browser at the moment you send it, but the user can change it again from **Settings > Apps > Default Apps**. To prevent that, Apple exposes an additional restriction inside the `com.apple.applicationaccess` payload:

```xml
<key>allowDefaultBrowserModification</key>
<false/>
```

![allow browser modification](https://docs.applivery.com/int/_r2/media/09ac0a4e-3ad8-478f-9f15-3474973eec71/fce0ac31-1ad6-41ce-92c0-06a317206060.png)

:::warning
This restriction only takes effect on **supervised Devices**. On unsupervised Devices the command to set the browser still works, but the user will always be able to change it afterwards.
:::

## Requirements

<table style="min-width: 50px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Requirement</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Detail</p></th></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Minimum OS — Calling and Messaging</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>iOS/iPadOS 26.0 or later</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Minimum OS — Web Browser</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>iOS/iPadOS, macOS 10.12 Sierra or later, tvOS, watchOS, visionOS. Check the command panel for the exact detail per platform.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>App installed</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The target App has to be installed on the Device before you send the command</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Mechanism</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>A command sent from the Device detail page, not a persistent configuration profile</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Connectivity</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The Device has to be online and responsive to receive the command</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Troubleshooting

<table style="min-width: 50px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Situation</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Likely cause</p></th></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The command is sent but the default App does not change</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The target App is not installed, or its bundle ID does not exactly match the one registered in the App Store</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The Calling or Messaging field has no effect</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The Device runs a version of iOS/iPadOS earlier than 26.0</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The command never reaches the Device</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>The Device is offline or not responding to MDM at the time you send it</p></td></tr></tbody></table>