How to change which app opens a file type on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-change-which-app-opens-a-file-type-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.0.1

5 of 6 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)

App

Finder

Real screenshots

5 of 6 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   To open a file once with another app, use Open With

   Control-click (right-click) the file, choose Open With and pick an app. The default stays as it was.

   On our MacBook Neo the Open With menu for Sample text.pdf listed Preview (default), Books, Claude, ColorSync Utility, Google Chrome, Safari, App Store… and Other….

   Done

2. Select a file of the type you want to change

   Click once on a file in Finder. We used Sample text.pdf to change the app for all PDF files.

   Done

3. 

   Control-click the file and choose Get Info

   An Info window opens; on our MacBook Neo it was called Sample text.pdf Info and showed Kind: PDF document. Apple says you can also choose File > Get Info.

   Done

4. 

   Choose the app under Open with

   Click the menu under Open with and pick the app. On our MacBook Neo it showed Preview (default) with a tick, and we chose Google Chrome.

   Done

5. 

   Click Change All…

   On our MacBook Neo, Change All… was greyed out while Preview (default) was selected and became clickable once Google Chrome was chosen. If you only want this one file to open in the app, skip this step.

   Done

6. 

   Click Continue

   The Mac asks: Are you sure you want to change all similar documents to open with the application "Google Chrome"? On our MacBook Neo it added: This change will apply to all documents with extension ".pdf".

   Done

If you do not see this option

• The app is not in the list Choose Other… at the bottom of the menu. Apple says you can then find the app in the Applications folder. Source: Choose an app to open a file on Mac
• Change All… is greyed out It only works once you have chosen an app other than the current default, such as Preview (default).
• You do not see the Open with menu Click the small arrow next to Open with: in the Info window to open the section.

If this does not work

• Only one file opens in the new app You chose the app but did not click Change All… and Continue, so the choice applies to that file alone.
• Other file types still open in the old app The change applies only to one extension, for example ".pdf". Repeat the steps with a file of each other type.
• You clicked Cancel Nothing changes. Click Change All… again and choose Continue.

About this guide

Every file type has a default app. On our MacBook Neo, PDF files open in Preview (default). You can open one file in another app once, or change the app for all files of the same kind.

Screenshots: MacBook Neo, macOS 27.0.1, dark mode.

Good to know

File types are set one by one. Changing JPG files does not change PNG files.

The default web browser and mail app are chosen elsewhere: how to change the default browser on a Mac.

To go back, repeat the steps and choose the original app, for example Preview.

If a file has no ending or the Mac does not know it, see what kind of file it is with Quick Look: how to use Quick Look on a Mac.

In short: Control-click the file, Get Info, Open with, choose the app, Change All…, Continue.