How to change default apps on Mac
Jul 14, 2025 am 12:27 AMTo change the default Mac application, first, for file type: right-click the file → "Show introduction" → "Open method" and select the application and click "Change all"; secondly, for browser, email and other system services, you can specify it separately in "System Settings" → "Default Applications"; if the target application does not appear, you can try to run the program manually, register or uninstall the reinstallation application in preferences.
Settings of default applications for Mac are actually quite critical, especially when you are used to a certain workflow. For example, clicking on an image will pop up the picture viewing software you don’t like, or clicking on a link but not opening it in your commonly used browser. These can actually be customized. Just take a few minutes to adjust it to make the system more in line with your usage habits.

How to change the default opening method of file type
Sometimes, if you double-click a PDF or image, it is always opened with a program you don’t use frequently, you need to manually change the default application.

- Find any file you want to modify, right-click → "Show Introduction" (or press Command I after selecting the file).
- Select your favorite app in the "Open With" drop-down menu, such as Preview and switch to Adobe Acrobat.
- If you want all files of the same type to be opened with this app, remember to click "Change All".
In this way, if you open the same file in the future, you will not jump back to the original default program.
How to specify the default application for browser, email, music player
In addition to file types, system-level services such as web links, mail protocols (mailto:), and even Apple Music can also specify default applications.

- Open System Settings → Default Apps
- Select your preferred application in the options "Web page", "Email", "Music" and other options
- Save to take effect
For example, you can change Safari to Chrome and Apple email to Outlook, so that the app you set will be automatically called when clicking on a link or sending an email.
What should I do if some applications don’t appear?
Sometimes you will find that the program you want to set as default does not appear in the list, which may be because:
- The application has not been recognized by the system yet, so you can run the program manually first.
- Some third-party applications need to register as default applications in their preference settings.
- If it still doesn't appear, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling
In addition, some formats are relatively unpopular, and the system may not have built-in support at all. At this time, you need to install the corresponding plug-in or conversion tool.
Basically, these operations are not complicated to change the default application but are easy to ignore. Especially when changing to a new computer at the beginning, setting it in advance can save a lot of trouble.
The above is the detailed content of How to change default apps on Mac. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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