When you download, copy, or transfer a file to your Mac, chances are the file you copy has an app associated with it. Your macOS has several apps that are set to default for common file types, be it an HTML webpage, a JPG photo file, or an MP4 video file. But some of you use third-party apps, apps like VLC music player, a photo viewer/editor, or a third-party browser like Google Chrome. In this guide, I will show you how you can set or change default apps for a file on your Mac.

How To Set Or Change Default Apps On Mac. Before you start with the guide, you still have the option to open the file in other apps temporarily. Now click the dropdown and choose an app you. Changing the Default App. If you want to change the default app that opens a certain file type, you need to find a file that has the correct file type. So if you want all PNG files to open in a new app, you will need an PNG image to perform this. Locate your file and right click (Alt click) on the icon. This will bring you a menu with a.

• Each document that you have on your Mac is associated with a default application which macOS uses to open the file whenever you double-click on its icon in Finder.
• If you want to set the default application universally for a file type, that’s what the next tip is for. 2: How to Set Default Applications to Open All Files of a Format Type in Mac OS X. This approach will change the default application universally for all files of a specific format.
• Select an appropriate app from the Applications menu, then click to enable the Always Open With checkbox to make sure that you change the default program on Mac to that application. Press Open to open the file and save your selected program as the default option to open that file type in the process.

While many users are good with the Safari, some of you use Chrome browser on Mac which is a third-party browser for Mac, but webpage files on the Mac are associated with default Safari app. Similarly, for music files, iTunes, and for photo files, Preview app.

These apps open the common file types by default, these are fine, and you’ll be happy enough using them. But in case you have installed another app that you think it’s better than the default apps, you can change these default apps on your Mac to something different to open the file type.

How To Set Or Change Default Apps On Mac

Before you start with the guide, you still have the option to open the file in other apps temporarily.

• Right-click on the file you want to open and select Open With where you can choose the appropriate app.

Default Mail App Mac

For example, a file with extension .jpg opens in the built-in photo viewer app Preview by default, but at times you want to edit that photo in some photo editing apps such as Photoshop. You don’t often do edits on Photoshop which is why you don’t need to change the default app to Photoshop, you can choose the Open With menu to open the file in other apps temporarily.

However, if you want to set or change the default apps for a particular file, here’s what you need to do.

1. Right-click on a file that you want to change the app for and select Get Info.
2. Click Open With if the section isn’t already expanded.
3. Now click the dropdown and choose an app you want to open the file in by default.
4. Click Change All & Continue when the Finder asks you if you’re sure.

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MacOS already comes with some well-thought-of pre-installed apps that are designed to be used for different functions and services. These apps let you use your Mac straight out of the box. However, even though macOS’s exclusive apps are by far some of the most reliable ones to date, each of us tends to have personal preferences. For instance, you might favor using Chrome over Safari for web browsing. In this article, we’ll share with you how to change default apps in Mac to your preferred ones.

What Are Default Mac Apps?

Default apps are the programs that automatically launch when you perform an action on your Mac. For example, if you haven’t installed and set up a different browser yet, any web link you click will open on Safari, Apple’s proprietary web browser. To give you an idea, here are some of the most basic pre-installed apps you may find on your Mac: Best free mac calendar app 2017.

• App Store
• Automator
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Contacts
• Dashboard
• FaceTime
• DVD Player
• Game Center
• iBooks
• iMovie
• iTunes
• Launchpad
• Mail
• Maps
• Photos
• QuickTime Player
• Safari
• Time Machine

Some of these apps are indispensable, such as Automator and Time Machine. On the other hand, some are plainly extras that you can live without, such as Game Center and Launchpad. Meanwhile, there are those apps that are actually quite useful, but can be substituted by other apps that may do the job better. These include iBooks, QuickTime Player, Mail, Maps, and as exampled earlier, Safari. If you want to use another app in place of the default apps in Mac, you have two options: temporarily use a different app or permanently change the default app for specific functions.

Temporarily Using Another App To Perform A Task

It is straightforward and won’t require you to tinker with your Mac’s settings in any way. To try doing this, do the following steps:

• Download the app you want to use. For instance, VLC Player for playing movies and other video files. If you already have it, go to the next step.
• Open Finder. Look for the file you want to play. Right-click on it. On the menu, select Open With. The list of usable apps relevant to the file will appear. You will see the default app at the top of the list.
• Select the alternative app you want to use. The file will now open in that app.

How To Change The Mac Default App Settings

If you think you’re going to use alternative apps for a long time, it’s better to just set them up as default apps instead of doing the method above every single time. However, keep in mind that you can’t change default app settings in one go. But, don’t worry. Switching default apps shouldn’t take long. What’s good about this is you can always change your default apps.

Changing Default Browser

Safari is the default browser for all Apple devices. If you have installed other browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, you probably got a message asking to make them your default browser. If you ignored that request before, you could make any of them your default browser now.

• Go to System Preferences > General.
• Locate Default Web Browser.
• Click the drop-down menu to see the available browsers that can be set as default.
• Click on your browser of choice to set it as default.

Changing Default Email App

Apple’s Mail app is pretty straightforward and easy to use. However, for some, it can be too honest that it lacks some cool features that other email apps have. To switch from Mail to another email app you’ve downloaded and installed, do these:

• Open the Mail app. Go to Mail > Preferences.
• Find Default Email Reader. Click it to open the list of other email clients on your mac.
• Select the email app you want to use.

Changing Default Apps For Various Types Of Files

You can also change the default app or program to open certain file types, such as photos and videos. Here’s how:

• Open Finder. Right-click on the file you want to open a different app.
• On the menu, click Get Info.
• A box will appear. Find “Open with:” Click it.
• Click the drop-down menu to choose a new default app.
• Click Choose All. Now, all files of that type will open on your newly set default app.

Change Default Browser

On a final note, no matter what apps you set as default, it’s essential that you keep your Mac in tip-top condition. Tweakbit MacRepair can help you with that. By taking care of your Mac’s storage space, RAM, and battery, you are sure to enjoy using your Mac better and longer.

How To Change A Default App