How to Change a File Type's Default App in macOS

[MacRumors]

Each document that you have on your Mac is associated with a default application which macOS uses to open the file whenever you double-click on its icon in Finder.

Sometimes you may have a legitimate reason for changing which app your Mac automatically launches when you open a common file type - when a newly installed app assumes control of it, or when you want to open AVI video files in VLC instead of QuickTime, for instance. The following steps show you how to do just that.

1. In a Finder window, right-click (or Ctrl-click) the file whose default launch app you want to change.
   From the contextual menu, select Open With -> Other....
   
   
   A new navigation window will appear for you to select an alternative app to open the selected file. In our example, we're selecting the VLC media player app.
   
   
   Tick the checkbox next to Always Open With to ensure your selection applies in future to all files with the same extension (AVI files, in our case). If you don't see the checkbox, click the Options button at the lower left of the window and it should appear.
   Click Open.

If the app that you want to use to open the file type is greyed out, it's because macOS doesn't think there's a valid association between the two. In most cases this is correct, but you can still override it by changing the Recommended Applications view to All Applications using the Enable: dropdown menu.

There's another way you can change a file type's associated app in macOS: Right-click (or Ctrl-click) on the file in a Finder window and select Get Info.

In the information dialog that appears, you should see the Open with: section immediately below the Comments: section (click the chevron buttons to expand individual sections). Select Other... in the drop-down menu of apps to select one not already in the list, and then click Change All... to apply the association to all files with the same extension.

Article Link: How to Change a File Type's Default App in macOS

 

[Nicksd84]

How do you do this in iOS? Joke and jokes and jokes

 

[danckwerts]

Is there really anyone who didn't know this already?

 

[Centris 650]

Is there really anyone who didn't know this already?

There’s always a newbie.

 

[fermat-au]

How do you do this in iOS? Joke and jokes and jokes

Easy, if you have an iPhone switch to Android, if you have an iPad switch to Windows 10.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Easy, if you have an iPhone switch to Android, if you have an iPad switch to Windows 10.

Why would you downgrade?

 

[JosephAW]

Does this resolve the problem in HS where you open an image and it opens in grab instead of preview? Seems to ignore this feature.

 

[dorsal]

When I make this change for Photoshop CC 2018 docs, the change doesn't "stick" and reverts back to the oldest version of PS I have.

 

[nvmls]

Funny you say MR, although these tips are appreciated, this particular functionality has been bugged for decades.

 

[T Coma]

Is there really anyone who didn't know this already?

Kind of a douchey way to think about it. OSX is loaded with redundant commands, some more complicated than others. I'm still "discovering" alternate and easier commands 8 years into OSX.

Semi-related: I couldn't keep the file associations from changing on their own until I stopped using Firefox a few months ago. Haven't had a hiccup since.

 

[fairuz]

How do you do this in iOS? Joke and jokes and jokes

The equivalent is when you press the share button to open something in another app, in which case it gives you the list.
[doublepost=1529430019][/doublepost]There's always that one app that has the audacity to change itself to the default for a ton of common extensions like mp4 and jpeg. macOS should really ask first before overriding those.

 

[C DM]

Is there really anyone who didn't know this already?

Plenty of people don't know about plenty of things that plenty others know about.

 

[philosopherdog]

Doesn’t always stick. One of those long standing MacOS glitches.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Why would you downgrade?

I made the the switch and never regreted once. It is nice to have a phone that can be made personal. Both Android and Windows 10 never failed once. Love both

 

[Nicksd84]

The equivalent is when you press the share button to open something in another app, in which case it gives you the list.
[doublepost=1529430019][/doublepost]There's always that one app that has the audacity to change itself to the default for a ton of common extensions like mp4 and jpeg. macOS should really ask first before overriding those.

That’s not the same, but a workaround

 

[marvin_h]

Funny you say MR, although these tips are appreciated, this particular functionality has been bugged for decades.

I don’t know about “decades” but yes it is buggy as hell.
[doublepost=1529640421][/doublepost]

Doesn’t always stick. One of those long standing MacOS glitches.

Sad but true. In fact, for things like mp3 files, I’ve never gotten it to work right.
[doublepost=1529640494][/doublepost]

When I make this change for Photoshop CC 2018 docs, the change doesn't "stick" and reverts back to the oldest version of PS I have.

I’m sure that somehow someone thinks that’s a feature. But it sure feels like a bug.

 

[Gravydog316]

With High Sierra, I tried changing my default to open images from Preview app to Graphic Converter, but I tried choosing "change all," & it always goes back to the Preview app... buggy with these last few High Sierra beta version.
[doublepost=1529651354][/doublepost]

why should i change the default app for iew the files? they can be viewed perfectly.

you change what app opens the files
[doublepost=1529651458][/doublepost]

Doesn’t always stick. One of those long standing MacOS glitches.

It's always worked for me, except with the new High Sierra to open my image files, it reverts to Preview app (haven't tried with other apps/files, though.
File a bug report.

 

[Gravydog316]

still doesn't work in Catalina...
just reverts to Preview app.

 

[BillApple]

Each document that you have on your Mac is associated with a default application which macOS uses to open the file whenever you double-click on its icon in Finder.

Sometimes you may have a legitimate reason for changing which app your Mac automatically launches when you open a common file type - when a newly installed app assumes control of it, or when you want to open AVI video files in VLC instead of QuickTime, for instance. The following steps show you how to do just that.

1. In a Finder window, right-click (or Ctrl-click) the file whose default launch app you want to change.
   From the contextual menu, select Open With -> Other....
   
   
   A new navigation window will appear for you to select an alternative app to open the selected file. In our example, we're selecting the VLC media player app.
   
   
   Tick the checkbox next to Always Open With to ensure your selection applies in future to all files with the same extension (AVI files, in our case). If you don't see the checkbox, click the Options button at the lower left of the window and it should appear.
   Click Open.

If the app that you want to use to open the file type is greyed out, it's because macOS doesn't think there's a valid association between the two. In most cases this is correct, but you can still override it by changing the Recommended Applications view to All Applications using the Enable: dropdown menu.

There's another way you can change a file type's associated app in macOS: Right-click (or Ctrl-click) on the file in a Finder window and select Get Info.

In the information dialog that appears, you should see the Open with: section immediately below the Comments: section (click the chevron buttons to expand individual sections). Select Other... in the drop-down menu of apps to select one not already in the list, and then click Change All... to apply the association to all files with the same extension.

Article Link: How to Change a File Type's Default App in macOS

 

[BillApple]

I am using Mac OS 10.14.6 two days ago all my Word docs now open in TextEdit. I went to Open with and changed it back to Word, When I click Change All it switched back to TextEdit. Other then using time machine to a time before this happen any other ideas?