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Change Default Apps

How to change your default browser, email client, PDF viewer, and file type associations

Your computer picks which app opens when you click a link, open an email, or double-click a file. If the wrong app keeps launching, you can change these defaults in a few clicks.

Change your default browser:

  1. Open System Settings
  2. Go to Desktop & Dock in the sidebar
  3. Scroll down to Default web browser
  4. Click the dropdown and choose your preferred browser

All links from other apps will now open in that browser.

Change the default app for a file type:

  1. In Finder, right-click any file of that type (like a .pdf)
  2. Click Get Info
  3. Under Open with, pick the app you want
  4. Click Change All to apply it to every file of that type
  5. Confirm when prompted

This works for any file extension — PDFs, images, text files, code files, whatever you need.

Change the default email app:

Open your preferred email app and look for a "Set as default" or "Default email reader" option in its settings. In Apple Mail, go to Mail > Settings > General > Default email reader.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Edge keep becoming my default browser on Windows?▾

Windows updates sometimes reset your default browser to Edge. After a major update, go back to Settings > Apps > Default apps, click your preferred browser, and hit Set default again. Make sure all the individual protocols (HTTP, HTTPS) and file types (.htm, .html) are assigned too.

Can I set different apps for different file types?▾

Yes. You can have one PDF viewer for .pdf files, a different image editor for .png files, and so on. Each file type has its own default app. On Mac, use the Get Info > Open with > Change All method for each type. On Windows, use Settings > Apps > Default apps and search by file type.

What happens to links when I change my default browser?▾

Any link you click in other apps (email, Slack, documents) will open in the new default browser. Bookmarks, history, and saved passwords stay in whatever browser they were created in — they do not move automatically. If you want to bring those over, look for an import option in your new browser's settings.