Apps That Set Themselves As Default Apps There are a few Mac apps that allow you to set them as defaults; Chrome and Firefox are excellent examples of this. If you chose to install RCDefaultApp and visit the Internet tab, you will notice that although Safari may not be your default browser, it is still the default one for other functions. From the OS X Finder, right-click (or Control+Click) on the file to change the default app for and hold down the OPTION key so that the “Open With” menu becomes “Always Open With” Continue to hold OPTION and select the application you want to set as the default for this file. How to - Change the Default Application on Mac OS X By default, all files on a Macintosh computer are assigned an application that will open them if simply click on the file. Double-clicking on the file meetingnotes.doc may open the document in Microsoft Word, even though you also have Pages or Open Office that are capable of. Change the Default Application a File Opens With on Your Mac. Select a file with the format you want to change (ex: an MP3, a JPG picture, an HTML file) in the Finder. Right click on the file and choose “Get Info.”. Change the application in the “Open with:” drop down. If you just want to.
This article explains how you can set different applications to open PDF files on your Mac. Your Mac has a built-in PDF reader to open and render all of your PDFs on your Mac. This default application is called Preview. Following the instructions below, you can easily set your preferred application (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader) as the default application for opening PDF files. If you are unhappy with the results, again using the instructions below, then you may set the default PDF viewer in macOS back to Preview.
See also: Preview: The File Couldn’t Be Opened, Fix
Sometimes, Mac users accidentally make other applications as the default PDF reader and want to restore Preview as the default. Sometimes, Mac updates may cause issues with the default PDF reader. This article may help you resolve these issues.
See also: Can’t Open PDF On iPhone Or iPad, Fix
Setting your preferred app as the default PDF reader in macOS
For this article, we will set Preview as the default. Here is how:
1. Select any PDF file on your Mac.
2. Right-click (or Control-Click) the document. This will reveal a menu.
3. Select Get Info. This will a new window: (You can also open this info window by selecting the document and clicking the Command I keys.)
4. Find the Open With section. If the section is closed, click on the arrow next to it to expand.
5. You will see a pull-down menu. Open the menu and find and select Preview. (If your preferred app is not in the list, choose Other. This will let you choose your app from your applications.)
6. Once you select your application, such as Preview, click the “Change All” button to have this application to open all PDF documents.
7. A popup will appear saying “Are you sure you want to change all similar documents to open with the application “Preview”? This change will apply to all documents with extension “.pdf”. Click the blue Continue button to confirm.
And you are done.
See also: PDF Won’t Open: “Please Wait…” Message, How To Open
From documents, resumes to books, PDF is a pretty standard file format. Mac’s default PDF viewer is Preview. But you can easily change the default PDF viewer on Mac in just a few clicks.
Preview is great for viewing PDFs and basic annotating. However, it lacks a few features. To modify the text or to fill forms, you will need a sophisticated PDF editor app, and making them the default PDF viewer will save both time and energy.
How to Set the Default PDF Viewer in macOS Catalina
If you have downloaded an alternative PDF viewer on your Mac, the app might have prompted you to become the default application. So, before we move on, let’s first check what is a default PDF reader on your Mac.
Check the Default PDF Viewer on Mac
Step #1. Lookup a PDF file on your Mac and right-click or tap it with two fingers.
![Set Set](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134274709/847438509.jpg)
Step #2. Hover the cursor on Open With and observe the dialogue box that appears.
The first option in the listing will have (default) written behind the app. This signifies that the app is currently the default PDF viewer on your Mac.
Now that we have discovered it, let’s get down to switching the default PDF viewer.
To Change Default PDF Viewer on Mac
Step #1. Tap the PDF file with two fingers or right-click to invoke the contextual menu.
Step #2. Move the cursor to Get Info and click.
How To Set Default App In Macos 10.13
![Default Default](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134274709/333006329.jpg)
Step #3. In the pop-up window, look for the “Open With:” menu. If the tab is closed, expand it by clicking on the small grey arrow beside it.
Step #4. Here, click on the drop-down menu and select the application you prefer.
Step #5. Once selected, click on Change All… button to make it default.
Step #6. Click Continue to confirm.
And now, when you check the default PDF viewer on Mac, it will have the app you set.
That’s All
Do note that this method does not just apply to PDF files. This indeed is the way to change the default app of any kind of file. So, go ahead, mix, match, and play!
And as far as file formats go, PDF is amongst the most popular and secure document formats out there. And thankfully Mac carries a variety of features to accommodate the format, such as:-
How To Set Default Search Engine
A self-professed Geek who loves to explore all things Apple. I thoroughly enjoy discovering new hacks, troubleshooting issues, and finding and reviewing the best products and apps currently available. My expertise also includes curating opinionated and honest editorials. If not this, you might find me surfing the web or listening to audiobooks.
Macos App Store
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/Why Hasn't Apple Adopted USB-C for iPhone? Brewing An Alternative...
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/A Decade of Apple: Happy, Sad, Great or Worst Moments of Tech Giant
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/Is Fining Apple for Secretly Slowing iPhones Justified or Not?
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/Why Is Samsung's Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite a Brilliant Idea?