How to Change Default Apps

Choose your browser

1. Install the browser you actually want from its official publisher.
2. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
3. Find and select that browser under the application list. Use its Set default control where available.
4. Review any file or link types you want to change separately. Test an ordinary web link afterward.

Choose your email app

In Default apps, select the installed email program and review the MAILTO link type. This controls what normally opens when you click an email address; it is separate from choosing a web browser.

Webmail such as Gmail is a website. Using it for email links can also require a protocol-handler setting in your browser. Do not assume a website appears as an installed Windows mail app.

Change one file type

1. In Default apps, search for the extension, such as .pdf or .jpg.
2. Select the current association and choose your preferred installed app.
3. Open a harmless example file to confirm the result. Changing the default does not convert the file’s contents.

If the choice keeps changing

A normal app asking permission to become the default is not proof of malware. Unexpected redirects, unfamiliar software, or changes you did not approve deserve a closer look.

Defaults can be set by file type, link type, or application. There is no need to accept a claim that one button changes every kind of link or document on your PC.