Set the Home Page and Startup Page for Browsers using Intune (macOS)
Using Intune, you can set the default startup page and/or home page for many browsers. For example, your company may want their "intranet" or SSO page as the first tab users see when they launch a browser.
In this article, we'll review the steps to set the home page and startup page for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge on macOS devices using Intune configuration profiles.
Table of Contents
Google Chrome
To configure Chrome's home page and startup page, we'll deploy a custom preference (PLIST) file using an Intune configuration profile. We'll go over the basic steps in this article, but if you'd like to learn more about deploying PLIST files using Intune, please see the link below:
Step 1: Create the Preference (PLIST) File
Using a code editing program such as Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code, create a blank file and copy/paste the XML key-value attribute pairs below. Make the appropriate adjustments and save the file with the XML file extension.
HomepageLocation: enter the desired home page URL
RestoreOnStartup: the integer, 4, sets Chrome's startup action to "open a list of URLs"
Click here to learn about the other options.
RestoreOnStartupURLs: defines the URLs to open if RestoreOnStartup is set to 4
Step 2: Create the Configuration Profile
Launch the Intune Portal.
Select Devices in the left-hand menu blade.
Select macOS > Configuration (expand Manage Devices)
Select + Create > + New Policy
Platform: macOS
Profile type: Templates > Preference file
Select Create.
Preference Domain Name: com.google.chrome
Property List File: select the folder icon to search for and upload the PLIST file you created and saved earlier.
Once done, select Next, choose the device assignment, and create the app deployment.
Mozilla Firefox
To configure Firefox's home page and startup page, we'll deploy a custom preference (PLIST) file using an Intune configuration profile. We'll go over the basic steps in this article, but if you'd like to learn more about deploying PLIST files using Intune, please see the link below:
Step 1: Create the Preference (PLIST) File
Using a code editing program such as Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code, create a blank file and copy/paste the XML key-value attribute pairs below. Replace "https://dmtt.blog" with your URL and make any other needed changes; save the file with the XML file extension.
EnterprisePoliciesEnabled: according to Firefox, this value must be enabled.
URL: enter the desired, default home page URL; click here to learn how to add multiple URLs
Startpage: the current value is "homepage," meaning that the startup page will be whatever was set as the default home page under the URL key. Other options are below:
none: there is no home page
previous-session: the previous session's tab will restore
homepage-locked: the user cannot restore their session at startup and always receives the home page
Step 2: Create the Configuration Profile
Launch the Intune Portal.
Select Devices in the left-hand menu blade.
Select macOS > Configuration (expand Manage Devices)
Select + Create > + New Policy
Platform: macOS
Profile type: Templates > Preference file
Select Create.
Preference Domain Name: org.mozilla.firefox
Property List File: select the folder icon to search for and upload the PLIST file you created and saved earlier.
Once done, select Next, choose the device assignment, and create the app deployment.
Microsoft Edge
Because Edge is a native Microsoft application, its configurations are built into Intune. You do not have to deploy a custom preference (PLIST) file, unlike Chrome and Firefox.
Step 1: Create the Configuration Profile
Launch the Intune Portal.
Select Devices in the left-hand menu blade.
Select macOS > Configuration (expand Manage Devices)
Select + Create > + New Policy
Platform: macOS
Profile type: Settings Catalog
Select Create.
Step 2: Select the Settings to Configure
Select + Add settings.
Type home in the search bar and hit enter.
Select Microsoft Edge from the list of results.
Select the checkbox next to Configure the home page URL.
Clear the search box, type Start, and hit enter.
Select Microsoft Edge from the list of results.
Select the checkbox next to Action to take on startup.
Select the checkbox next to Sites to open when the browser starts.
Select the X in the top right corner to close out the Settings picker.
Step 3: Configure the Settings
Sites to open when the browser starts: enter the desired URL(s) for the startup page(s).
Action to take on startup: Open a list of URLs
Configure the home page URL: enter the desired URL for the home page.
Step 4: Finalize the Deployment
Select Next.
Optionally add scope tags.
Add the appropriate assignment.
Review + Create!
macOS Safari
Unfortunately, I have bad news. I tried a few different methods to configure Safari's home page using Intune, but all of them were unsuccessful. If you are able to figure it out, please let us know how down below in the comments; we'd love to learn!
Cover Image by Freepik
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