Certain actions that you perform on your Mac will cause default apps to open. For example, clicking a document may open Pages. But what if you want Microsoft Word to open instead? You can also set your default web browser and email reader.
Jan 08, 2018 Click on Programs. Click on Default Programs. Click on Set your default programs. Choose the program that you want to set the defaults from the Programs menu on the left. After selecting a PowerPoint, click Choose defaults for this program. A list of all file types can be viewed, remove the check mark on the.key file type and click Save. Sep 12, 2017 You can easily set the default program to open certain file types from any “Get Info” window, from any file in Mac OS X. It is the common problem that people have faced in different operating systems and they remain confused instead of finding the solution.
Here's how!
How to change the default Mac app for specific file types
- Right-click on a file that uses the file type you'd like to change the default for. For example, one with a .jpg extension (a photo).
- Click on Get Info in the pop-up.
- Click Open With if the section isn't already expanded.
- Click the dropdown and choose an app.Source: iMore
- Click Change All...
- Click Continue when the Finder asks you if you're sure.Source: iMore
Now any time you open a file with that extension, the Finder will automatically open it with the app you've selected.
How to set your default web browser
- Launch System Preferences from the dock, Finder, or by clicking the Apple icon in the Menu bar.
- Click General at the top left of the window.
- Click the dropdown next to Default web browser.
- Click the web browser you'd like to use as the default.Source: iMore
How to set your default email reader
Mail is likely the default email app on your Mac, but just in case you have others downloaded, you can set the default reader. Here's how:
- Launch Mail from your dock or the Finder.
- Click Mail in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Click Preferences.
- Click the dropdown next to Default Mail Reader.
- Click the app you'd like to set as the default.Source: iMore
Questions?
Let us know in the comments below.
Updated February 2020: Updated for macOS Catalina!
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Clear Default Program To Open File
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Sometimes, if your Mac doesn’t recognize a file type as something that one of its programs can handle, or if you want a specific file type to always open in a specific program, Mac OS X Lion might need a little help from you. Mac OS X Lion lets you specify the application in which you want to open a document in the future when you double-click it. Suppose that you want all .tif graphic files that usually open in Preview to open instead in Pixelmator, a more capable third-party program
More than that, you can specify that you want all documents of that type to open with the specified application. “Where is this magic bullet hidden?” you ask. Right there in the file’s Info window.
Here’s how you do it:
Os X Change Default Program For File Extension Download
- Click one of the files in the Finder.
- Choose File→Get Info (Command+I).
- In the Info window, click the gray triangle to disclose the Open With pane.
- From the pop-up menu, choose an application that Mac OS X believes will open this document type.
- (Optional) If you click the Change All button at the bottom of the Open With pane, you make Pixelmator the new default application for all .tif files that would otherwise be opened in Preview.Notice the handy alert that appears when you click the Change All button and how nicely it explains what will happen if you click Continue.