There are many ways to customize Windows and macOS to your own preferences and tastes. Think of changing the wallpaper or managing the way programs are launched. A few settings that may be less well-known are the settings that allow you to manage the default apps on your operating system.
How to Change Default Apps or Programs in Windows 10
The easiest way to understand default apps is to double-click on a file on your system: an image, a PDF, a video, or whatever is handy. The program that launches is the default app for that file type. So you’ll most likely see Microsoft Excel spring into action when you double-click on an Excel spreadsheet, for example.
Your default web browser launches when you click a web link, your default email client launches when you click an email address, and so on. While you don't necessarily want to change many of these default apps, it can be useful if there are specific tools you want to use to process specific files.
It’s also possible that a program has made itself the default without your permission, causing your images to suddenly open in Adobe Photoshop instead of Microsoft Paint. If you want to make changes to your default app shortcuts, or just view them, here’s how.
