How To Customize Default Apps In Windows 10

For those who are using Windows 10 and want to set or customize the default app settings, you can follow this instruction that I made for you.

The Default Apps setting is not new to Windows 10 it also available in the past versions of Windows but it is reorganized to make it more functional and easy to customize.

How to customize default apps in Windows 10

To customize default apps in Windows 10, follow these steps to set your preferred apps for web browsing, email, music, videos, and more:

1. Open Settings: Press Windows + I or go to Start > Settings.
2. Go to Apps: In Settings, select Apps.
3. Choose Default Apps: Click on Default apps in the left-hand menu.
4. Select a Category: Under categories like Email, Maps, Music player, Photo viewer, and Web browser, click the app listed to open a selection menu.
5. Pick Your Preferred App: From the list of installed apps, choose your preferred app for each category.

Set Default Apps by File Type in Windows 10

To set default apps by file type in Windows 10, follow these steps to choose specific applications for different file extensions (such as .pdf, .jpg, etc.):

1. Open Settings: Press Windows + I or go to Start > Settings.
2. Go to Apps: In the Settings menu, select Apps.
3. Select Default Apps: From the left-hand menu, click on Default apps.
4. Choose Default Apps by File Type:
   • Scroll down and select Choose default apps by file type.
5. Assign Apps to Specific File Types:
   • You’ll see a list of file extensions (like .pdf, .mp4, etc.) on the left and their associated default apps on the right.
   • Click on the app icon next to each file type to see a list of compatible apps, then choose the app you want as the default for that file type.

Set Default Apps by Protocol in Windows 10

To set default apps by protocol in Windows 10, follow these steps to configure specific applications to handle particular protocols (like mailto: for email links, http: for web links, etc.):

1. Open Settings: Press Windows + I or go to Start > Settings.
2. Go to Apps: In the Settings window, select Apps.
3. Select Default Apps: From the left-hand menu, click on Default apps.
4. Choose Default Apps by Protocol:
   • Scroll down and select Choose default apps by protocol.
5. Assign Apps to Specific Protocols:
   • You’ll see a list of protocols (like http:, mailto:, etc.) on the left and their associated default apps on the right.
   • Click on the app next to each protocol, then select your preferred app from the list of compatible options.

Your chosen app will now automatically handle links or tasks associated with that protocol by default.

Set Default by App in Windows 10

To set default apps by a specific application in Windows 10, follow these steps to configure an app to open specific file types or protocols:

1. Open Settings: Press Windows + I or go to Start > Settings.
2. Go to Apps: In the Settings window, select Apps.
3. Select Default Apps: From the left-hand menu, choose Default apps.
4. Choose Set Defaults by App:
   • Scroll down and select Set defaults by app. This will open a list of installed applications.
5. Select an App:
   • Find and select the app you want to configure.
   • Click Manage to view the file types and protocols the app can open.
6. Assign File Types or Protocols to the App:
   • Click on each file type or protocol listed, then choose your app from the options provided.

Reset Default Apps in Windows 10

To reset default apps in Windows 10 to their original settings, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings: Press Windows + I or go to Start > Settings.
2. Go to Apps: In the Settings menu, select Apps.
3. Select Default Apps: From the left-hand menu, click on Default apps.
4. Reset to Microsoft Recommended Defaults:
   • Scroll to the bottom and click Reset under “Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults.”

This will restore all default apps (like the web browser, email client, etc.) to their original Microsoft settings. You can then reconfigure any specific apps as needed.

Read Also: How to Schedule Updates and Reboots For Your Windows 10