How to Set and Change Default Apps on Mac
Updated on: June 15, 2023
Time to read: 8 minutes
To change the default app for file type permanently, follow the steps below:
- Right-click on your file and click on Get Info.
2. Under the “Open with” section, click on the drop-down list and select the app with which you want to open the file.
3. Click on Change All.
4. A confirmation box will pop up. Click on Continue.
1. Right-click or Control-click on the file and choose Get Info.
2. Click on the default app under “Open with,” and choose the new app.
3. You may not always see the app you want to assign to the file type in the drop-down list. In that case, choose Other.
4. In the field next to “Enable,” choose Recommended Applications so you only see apps that support the file type.
5. Click on Add.
6. Back on the Get Info window, select Change All so that all files of the same type open with your chosen app.
1. Right-click on a file.
2. Click on Open With.
3. You’ll be able to see a list of apps with which you can open the file.
4. If the app you want to open the file with doesn’t appear on the list, click on Other.
5. Search for the app in the Applications folder. Highlight it and click on Open. Make sure the “Always Open With” box is ticked.
1. Control-click on the file and choose Open With. Click on the app with which you want to open it.
2. Drag the file and drop it over your preferred app in the Dock.
3. Open the file directly through the app by selecting File > Open in the menu bar when the app is open.
4. Highlight the file in the Finders application, and then select the app from the menu bar by going to File > Open With.
1. Control-click on the video whose default media player you want to change.
2. Select Get Info.
3. In the “Open With” section, choose Elmedia Player in the drop-down list.
4. Hit the Change All button to ensure all other videos that have the same file format open with Elmedia as well. Click on Continue to confirm the changes.
5. If you only want a single video to open with a different media player, control-click on it and click on Open With.
6. Choose Elmedia Player. This won’t affect other videos, even if they have the same format.
1. Download Commander One from its official site.
2. Copy it to the Applications folder to install it.
3. Launch Commander One and add its icon to the Dock so you can quickly access it.
4. Note that if you have any folders on your desktop, they’ll still open in Finder. To open them in Commander One, control-click on the folder and select Show in Commander One.
- Open the browser you want to set as the default one. For this guide, we’re going to use Google Chrome.
2. Click on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Settings.
3. Click on Default browser in the sidebar.
4. Click on Make default to set Chrome as your default browser.
1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences if you’re on an older version of macOS).
2. Click on Desktop and Dock (or General).
3. In the drop-down list next to “Default web browser,” select a browser.
1. Open the Mail app.
2. In the menu bar, go to Mail > Preferences.
3. Click on the drop-down list next to “Default email reader.”
4. Choose your new default email app.
