How to Open YouTube in Chrome, Not in YouTube App on Android?

If you tap on a YouTube link in Chrome web browser on an Android phone, the operating system will by default open the link in the dedicated YouTube app. If you want to stay in Chrome and open YouTube links and videos in the web browser instead, you have to disable the YouTube app as the default one for opening YouTube links like youtube.com or youtu.be. That can be done in the Settings section in Android.

Here’s how to do that:

• In the search bar of your Android phone’s Settings, type “default apps”.

• Depending on your phone brand and Android version, you will find a Default Apps, Choose default apps or similar option. 

• Select your default apps option and tap on the Opening links option within it. A list of installed apps will appear.

• Near the end of the installed apps list, there’s a YouTube option marked with a YouTube icon. Tap on it.

• Depending on your phone and Android version, choose the option like Don’t allow app to open links or switch off the Open supported links toggle switch, or similar.

Now, all links to YouTube you tap in Chrome will be opened within the web browser, without switching to the default YouTube app.

This can be useful if you want to, for instance, use Chrome Bookmarks to bookmark YouTube videos, have your watched YouTube videos listed in Chrome History, or select and copy some text found in the comments section on YouTube pages.