The default app settings for other accounts will remain unaffected unless you manually log in to those accounts and repeat these steps. If you have multiple user accounts on your Mac, note that this change only applies to the current user account. But, if QuickTime is what you prefer, you can change it by making use of this procedure. For example, when you install VLC Player on your Mac, it may assume control over your video files and use it to launch videos. This could also come in handy if a newly installed app on your Mac has taken control of launching a specific file type and you’re looking to change it back to the default settings. You can follow these steps to change the default app that’s used to launch video files, image files, PDF files, ZIP files, and so on. Now you’ve learned two different ways to change the default app that’s used for launching a specific file type on your Mac.įrom now on, whenever you click on this specific file type, the app you selected using the contextual menu will be used to open the file. This will change the default app for all files using the same format. Once you select a different app, make sure to click on “Change All”.

Once the Get Info opens up with the file information, you’ll find the option to change the default app for that specific file.

Alternatively, you can Control-click or right-click on the file and select “Get Info” from the context menu.

That’s one way to change the default app.

If you don’t find this option, tap on “Options” to bring it up. Here, select the application that you want to use for opening the file and check the box next to “Always Open With” as shown below.

This will open a new window on your screen.

Now, you’ll notice that macOS suggests some apps that can be used to open the file.

Hover the cursor over “Open With” from the context menu to continue.

Next, browse for the file that you want to change the default app for and right-click or Control-click on it.

First, launch the Finder app on your Mac.

The steps are identical for all recent versions of macOS, so let’s get started: Whether you’re using a MacBook, iMac, or Mac Mini, you can make use of the following steps to change the default app for a specific file format on your machine. How to Change a File Type’s Default App in macOS If you want complete control over what apps are used when you click on a specific file stored on your Mac, then continue reading to learn how you can change a file type’s default app on macOS. By default, both image files and PDF files on macOS use the Preview app when you click on it. In such cases, you may want to set a preferred reader for opening all PDF files stored on your machine.

For example, you may have both Adobe Acrobat and PDF Element installed on your system that can be used for opening, reading, and editing PDF files. More often than not, you may have multiple software on your Mac that does the same thing.

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