How to Manage Apps for Websites on Windows 11

What is “Apps for Websites”?

Apps for Websites is a Windows 11 feature that lets your computer open web links directly inside installed desktop apps instead of your web browser. When you click a link for a service like YouTube, Windows automatically launches the dedicated app for that site if you have it installed, saving you from browsing in a separate tab.

If you don’t have the app installed, the link will open in your web browser as usual.

How to Turn Apps for Websites On or Off Using the Settings App

1. Open the Settings app. You can do this by:

   • Clicking the Start menu ⊞ and then selecting Settings.
   • Or pressing Windows + I on your keyboard.
2. In Settings, click Apps on the left side menu.
3. On the right, click on Apps for websites.

You can control Windows 11 Apps for Websites directly through the main Settings menu by navigating to the Apps section. This built-in method lets you view every installed application that supports web links and use simple toggle switches to turn the feature on or off for each specific program individually.

Click the toggle switch next to any app to turn the feature on or off.

When you are done, close Settings.

How to Enable or Disable Apps for Websites Using Group Policy Editor

Local Group Policy Editor lets administrators control Windows 11 Apps for Websites across every user account on a single computer at the same time. You can access the system configuration templates to enforce your preferred web-to-app link settings globally without needing to change individual user profiles.

Here’s how:

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor. (If you don’t know how, check this guide).
2. In the left panel, go to:
   
   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy
   
3. Click on the Group Policy folder.
4. On the right, double-click Configure web-to-app linking with app URI handlers.

Choose one of these options:

• Not Configured – This is the default, which means the feature is turned on.
• Enabled – Turns the feature on.
• Disabled – Turns the feature off.

Click OK to save, then restart your computer for the change to take effect.

How to Turn Apps for Websites On or Off Using the Registry Editor

Registry Editor provides an advanced way to manage Windows 11 Apps for Websites by editing system registry keys directly when group policies are unavailable. You can navigate to the Windows system keys and create specific DWORD values to force web links to open in browsers or apps across your PC.

Steps:

1. Open Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Start menu search and pressing Enter.
2. Navigate to this folder:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

If the System folder isn’t there, right-click on Windows, select New › Key, and name it System.

Right-click inside the System folder on the right side, choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it EnableAppUriHandlers.

Double-click the new value and set the Base to Decimal. Then enter:

• 1 to turn the feature ON
• 0 to turn the feature OFF

Close Registry Editor and restart your PC for the change to work.

Summary

• You can control whether Windows opens website links in apps or in the browser.
• Use the Settings app for an easy way to switch this on or off for each app.
• If you want to apply it for all users or have more control, use Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor.
• Remember to restart your computer after making changes in Group Policy or Registry Editor.

Managing Windows 11 Apps for Websites gives you full control over whether web links open in your dedicated desktop applications or your standard web browser. You can easily adjust these preferences for individual programs using the Settings app, or apply system-wide rules across all user accounts using the Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor.