Everyone has their own list of favourite apps. Even though Windows 11 has apps for doing different things, you may want to switch to something better or more familiar. You might want a certain app or programme to open certain file types. There are a few different ways to change the default file association on Windows, which is a good thing.
If you have more than one app that does the same thing, you might want to make sure that your favourite app is the one that opens by default. Let’s figure out how you can do that.
Set Default Apps on Windows 11
1. CHANGE DEFAULT APPS FROM SETTINGS
The Settings app is the easiest way to change the default apps on Windows. You can change the default app for a file type or set a default for a link type. In either case, it’s easy to do. Find out how by reading on.
Set Default by Apps
Step 1: Open the Start menu and click on the cog-shaped icon to launch the Settings app.
Step 2: Use the left pane to navigate to the Apps tab and click on Default apps on your right.
Step 3: Under ‘Set defaults for applications,’ you’ll see a list of apps.
Step 4: Scroll down and click on an app to view a list of file types associated with it.
Step 5: Select the file type for which you wish to change the default app.
Step 6: Pick a new app from the menu that appears and click on OK to save changes.
Set Defaults by File Type or Link Type
You can also set default apps based on the type of file or link in the Settings app. This can help if you want to change the default app for more than one file type at once. Here’s what you have to do.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. Switch to the Apps tab and click on Default apps.
Step 2: Under “Set a default for a file type or link type,” use the search bar to look for a specific file extension. For example, if you want to change the app that opens MP3 files by default, search for “.mp3.”
Step 3: Click on the current default app for the file type.
Step 4: Select the app you’d like to use for the file type and hit OK.
Similarly, you can repeat the above steps to change default apps associated with any file format.
If the menu doesn’t show any apps click on ‘Look for an app in the Microsoft Store’ and hit OK.
Windows will open the Microsoft Store and show you all the apps that work with the file format. You can make an app the default by going to Microsoft Store and getting it, then following the steps above.
2. CHANGE DEFAULT APPS FROM FILE PROPERTIES
If you only want to change the default app for a few file types (mostly media files), you can do so quickly from the properties of the file. This is how.
Step 1: Navigate to the file for which you wish to change the default app. Right-click on it and select Properties.
Step 2: Under the General tab, click on the Change button.
Step 3: Select a new default app for that particular file type and click on OK.
Step 4: Lastly, hit Apply to save changes.
And that’s about it. This should change the default app for every file in the same format.
BONUS: RESET DEFAULT APPS ON WINDOWS 11
If you recently installed an app or programme that messed up the default apps for a few file types or if you want to start from scratch, changing the default apps for each file type can be time-consuming. The Settings app on Windows 11 gives you the chance to change the default apps. Here’s what you have to do.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start menu and select Settings from the list.
Step 2: In the Apps tab, click on Default apps.
Step 3: Scroll all the way down to the end of the page and hit the Reset button next to ‘Reset all default apps’.
Step 4: Hit OK to continue.
And you’re good to go. Windows will reset default apps for all the file types.
THE DEFAULT CHOICE
Changing the default apps on Windows 11 is quick and easy, whether you want Chrome to be the default browser or VLC to play all your videos.
After you’ve made your favourite apps the default, you might want to stop unwanted apps from running in the background to free up system resources on your PC.