mac os set default application for file type

#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE HOW TO#
#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE MOVIE#
#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE PDF#
#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE PORTABLE#

So pick it only when you know what you’re doing. If you changed one of the types, like the DOC file format making it open in another word processor while keeping DOCX files assigned to Word, clicking Change All will change both back to Word. For example, all file types that normally open with Microsoft Word will change back to opening with Word. The Change All button will change all file types for that app so that any other customizations will revert back to defaults. Choose the preferred program and it will instantly change the default Mac app for that file type. The drop down box will list all the OS X apps that can handle that file type. Once you find a file, right-click on the file and choose Get Info from the menu that pops up.Ī dialog box will open. It’s in the upper right corner (see below).

#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE PDF#

Find a PDF file stored on your computer using Finder. If you can’t find one use the search box in Finder.

Instead, you want to see all PDF files in Preview. You don’t want to open the Adobe Acrobat document creator program from Creative Cloud suite just to view a PDF file. For example, you installed Acrobat and the installation procedure moved the default app from the OS X Preview app to Adobe Acrobat DC. Now search for a file with the extension you want to change.

From now on you’ll see all the file extensions of every file in Finder. Exit the box by clicking the red button in the upper left corner. Inside the ensuing dialog box open the Advanced tab by clicking Advanced in the top right corner of the box.Ĭlick to put a check mark in Show all filename extensions in that dialog box. You can also use the keyboard shortcut COMMAND +, (the comma). To make sure you can see yours, open Finder and then, from the Finder menu at the top left select Preferences. When a user opens Finder and looks at a file, they might not see these endings.

#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE MOVIE#

MOV – movie files, which open in QuickTime by default.

MP3 – music files, which open in iTunes by default.

DOCX – a proprietary Microsoft Word format.

DOC – a document file often associated with Word or some other word processor.

GIF – another image format called Graphics Interchange Format which opens in Preview by default.

#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE PORTABLE#

PDF – portable document format also called Acrobat files, which open in Preview by default.

Other common file types you may wish to change include … Notice the three letters after the period are JPG. So a file might carry the name photo0003.jpg. For example a picture file type known as JPEG has a file ending of JPG. Some file types won’t show you the extension that identifies the type of file.

#MAC OS SET DEFAULT APPLICATION FOR FILE TYPE HOW TO#

How to Change Default Mac App for Any File Typeįind a file of the type you want to change the default mac app for by opening Finder. Follow the steps below to fix this or change it. Likewise, the programmer may not ask for the permission in a way that makes it clear that the program’s changing your default app. However, you may not see the dialog box that asks for permission. They’re not supposed to change the default Mac app for a file type without the user’s agreement. The installation procedure of some apps will change the default. These and other file types open in a default program set by the operating system. Maybe you want all JPG picture files to open in a photo editor instead of OS X Preview. Why would you want to change a default Mac app for a file type? Let’s say you want to open a video file using VLC Media player instead of Apple’s QuickTime Player. Why Change Default Mac App for a File Type Changing the Default Mac app is a simple procedure that will save users some time and avoid annoyances. We’ll show users how to take control of what apps open when they double-click a certain file type. However, if a user downloads and installs Adobe’s Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat DC, the default file type will change so that all PDF files will open with Adobe Acrobat.

For example, PDF files open by default in the Mac Preview app. Any time a user installs a new application on a Mac, it becomes the default Mac app for that file type.

Mac os set default application for file type