How to Change Default Apps in Windows
Beginner
How-To · Windows
Controlling which program opens automatically for a given file type — photos, PDFs, links, and more.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- Search for a specific app to see and change every file type it currently handles, or search for a specific file extension (like .pdf) to see and change which app opens it.
- Click the current app next to any file type and choose your preferred replacement from the list that appears.
- For browsers and email specifically, there are dedicated shortcuts near the top of the page rather than needing to search file types individually.
- Watch for installer prompts during future software installs — many quietly offer to set themselves as a default handler for unrelated file types, which is the most common way this setting changes without you fully realizing it.
Running into an error instead of just needing the how-to? Check our Windows troubleshooting guides or the error lookup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing default apps affect files I've already opened?
No — it only affects which app opens files going forward. Anything already open in another program stays exactly as it is.
Why did my default app change without me doing anything?
This can happen after installing new software that sets itself as the default without clearly asking, or sometimes after a major Windows Update resets certain associations — checking your defaults periodically is a reasonable habit.
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