Global: Can consumers change their internet browser?

A new global poll from YouGov shows more than a quarter of consumers around the world feel they are “locked in” to their current internet browser and can’t switch now.

While 28% of global consumers feel this this way, a little more don’t agree (36%). The same proportion neither agree nor disagree with the notion that they’re stuck with their current browser (36%).

But this global data also shows how attitudes differ around the world. For instance, of the 18 markets in which we conducted the poll, adults in the United Arab Emirates are most likely to feel hemmed into their current browser (43%), as are those in India (43%), and Mexico (41%).

Meanwhile, those consumers in Denmark (9%), Germany (15%), and the United States (20%) are the least likely to consider themselves stuck with their current browser.

Perhaps the most compelling conclusion of the survey is that the younger the consumer, the more likely they are to feel they can’t switch. Global adults 18-24 are most likely to feel this way (37%), followed by those 25-34 (35%), then those 35-44 (30%), then those 55 and older (19%).

Google’s Chrome browser – and iPhone’s Safari browser – have been considered the dominant players in the bower battle as of late. Safari comes pre-installed on all iPhones, making it the default choice for most iPhone users. As they amass browsing history, bookmarks and saved passwords, they may feel less and less inclined to change to another app. After Google released Chrome, it quickly gained in popularity thanks to its speed, simplicity, customization, and integration with Google search and other Google apps.

YouGov Profiles data in the US shows 55% say Google Chrome is their main internet browser, 13% say so of Safari, and 10% for Firefox.

Receive monthly topical insights about the tech industry, straight to your inbox. Sign up today.

Discover more tech content here

Want to run your own research? Start building a survey now
Methodology: The data is based on the interviews of adults aged 18 and over in 18 markets with sample sizes varying between 514 and 2,036 for each market. All interviews were conducted online in March 2022. Data from each market uses a nationally representative sample apart from Mexico and India, which use urban representative samples, and Indonesia and Hong Kong, which use online representative samples.