If you don’t know how to change default apps on Windows 11, we are going to help you out. By default, Windows 11 keeps track of which apps open which kinds of files. For example, JPG files are opened with the Photos application by default. But it is possible to change those default apps in order to your needs.
How to change default apps on Windows 11?
Find the Default Apps menu
The Settings app on Windows 11 allows you to quickly select or change which applications can open particular kinds of files. Follow these steps:
- Open the Windows Settings.
- If you don’t know how, you can just hit the Windows+i hotkey or you can right-click on the Start icon and choose “Settings” from the menu that appears.
- Then choose the “Apps” section from the sidebar.
- Choose “Default Apps.”
- After you enter the Default Apps section, there are different paths you can take, we will detail them below.
Choose default apps by file type
Searching by file type is one of the simplest methods to change default apps. Follow these steps:
- In the Default Apps section, you’ll see a box telling: “Enter a file type or link type.”
- Choose that box and select the file extension that you want to modify. For example, “.txt” for text files or “.png” for images, etc.
- If you enter a non-registered extension, you’ll see a button labeled “Choose a Default” where you may designate the default program for it.
- If you enter a known file extension, you’ll see the associated app below the text entry box. You can click on the box to change that app according to your preferences.
- You’ll see a pop-up after clicking that box saying: “How do you want to open [extension] files from now on?”, just select the app you want.
Adjust default apps
You can also adjust settings based on an application. In the Default Apps section, you’ll be prompted with a list of installed apps. Choose any app from the list, for example, Photos.
Now you should scroll down and choose the file extension. At some point, Setup will ask you which program you want to use as default. Check the list and select the app you want to use. Next, click on “OK.”
Change a default app when opening a file
You can also modify file associations while a file is opening.
Follow these steps:
- When you right-click on a file and choose “Open With,” you should see an option called “Choose Another App.”
- Click on that option and in the pop-up menu, select the app you want to set as default.
- Then, check the box next to “Always use this app to open [extension] files.”
- Next, click on “OK.”
