How to Customize Your Default Apps in Windows and macOS (2024)

If you open a file on your computer, it will launch in whatever application is set as the default program. A text file will open in Notepad or WordPad; a photo can be displayed in Preview or Photos; a song can be played in Windows Media Player or Apple’s Music app. Click on a hyperlink and the webpage opens in either Microsoft Edge or Safari.

However, you can change the default app if you have an alternative in mind. Text files can be opened in word processors such as Word or Pages; a photo can be displayed in Adobe Photoshop; a song can be played in third-party apps such as VLC Media Player; and webpages can be opened in Chrome, Firefox, or another browser.

Whether you use Windows or macOS, you can change the default application for a particular file type to another preferred program. Let’s see how this plays out across these different platforms.

Windows 10

In Windows 10, you can change the default app for specific files a few different ways. Open File Explorer and right-click on the file you wish to open. From the pop-up menu, select Open with. To open the file with a specific app just one time, click the name of the app.To always open this file type with a particular application, click Choose another app. From the menu, you can also opt to search the Microsoft Store to find and install another app capable of opening the file.

Select the application you want to set as the new default. Check the box next to Always use this app and click OK. Any file of the same type or extension will now open with your chosen app.

You can also set a default app via Settings > Apps > Default Apps. At the main screen, you'll see Mail, Maps, Music player, Photo viewer, Video player, and Web browser. Click one and select a new default app. Wait a couple of seconds for the change to take effect.

Choose Default Apps by File Type

In some cases, you may want to open different subsets of the same type of file with different applications—open a JPG file with one app and a PNG file with a different app, for example. To set this, scroll down the Default apps menu, and click Choose default apps by file type. Scroll down to the specific extension for which you want to set the default app. Click it and then select your preferred app.

Choose Default Apps by Protocol

Another option is to set a default app based on the protocol of the file. For example, you can tell Windows to open an Acrobat protocol with Adobe Reader, a MailTo protocol with Mail or Microsoft Outlook, and a Zoom phone call protocol with the Zoom app. To do this, click the Choose default apps by protocol link at the bottom of the Default apps menu. Select the app you wish to set and change it to your preferred selection.

Set Defaults by App

One more option is to set the defaults by apps rather than by file or protocol type. For example, you may wish to use Firefox to open HTTP links but Chrome to open HTML documents. Click the Set defaults by app link at the bottom of the Default apps menu. Select the app you wish to control and click the Manage button. Then select the protocols you wish to assign to that app.

Windows 8.1

You can change a default app in Windows 8.1 through File Explorer, Settings, or Control Panel.

To use File Explorer, right-click on the file type you wish to control and select Open within from the pop-up menu. Click the Use default program command and select the program you want to set as the default. Make sure the box is checked next to Use this app for all .xxx files. Click the link for More options to see even more programs from which to choose.

To use Settings, open the Charms bar, select Settings, and click Change PC Settings. At the PC Settings screen, click the setting for Search and apps and then click Defaults. Here, the process for changing a default app is the same as in Windows 10. You can also change defaults by file type or by protocol.

To change the defaults via Control Panel, right-click the Start button and select Control Panel from the menu. Click Programs > Default Programs > Set your default programs, then click a specific program that you want to set, such as a web browser. To associate all the supported file types with your selected program, click Set this program as default. Windows will then tell you that the program has all its defaults.

To more finely tune the defaults, click Choose defaults for this program. At the next screen, check the boxes for any file types that you wish to associate with your chosen app.

As one more option, return to the Default Programs screen and click Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program. Double-click on a particular extension and select the app you wish to use to always open that file type.

Windows 7

If you're still running Windows 7 (you shouldn't be), you can change the default through Windows Explorer or Control Panel. Open Windows Explorer, right-click the file type you wish to set, and move to the Open with command. Click the option to Choose default program. At the Open with window, select the app you want to use as the new default. Make sure to check the box to Always use the selected program to open this kind of file. Click OK. Setting or changing a default app through Control Panel works the same in Windows 7 as in Windows 8.1.

macOS

In macOS, right-click on the file you wish to set and move to the Open with command. To open a file with a specific app just one time, click the name of the app. To always open a file with that app, click the entry for Other. Browse through the list of recommended apps; you can also change the view to show all installed applications. Select the app you wish to use, check the box for Always open with, and then click Open.

Alternatively, right-click on the file and select Get Info. Click the down arrow for Open with, click the drop-down menu to choose the default app, and then click Change All to always associate that file type with your chosen app.