In our day-to-day with the Mac, we find ourselves managing a wide variety of files, from Pages documents to images in PNG format, to name just two examples. Each of these files opens with a specific application, but what happens when we want to change this default assignment? Let's see how to customize which apps open our files on the Mac.
One app for each type of file on our Mac
Each type of file on a Mac opens with a default application. However, we often have more than one application capable of opening a particular file format and we want to choose which one should do it.
When opening a photo, for example, it's most common for it to open with the Preview app. It's true that sometimes we want to open it with Photoshop to edit something, but that's not usual. In this circumstance, the default app will be Preview. On the other hand, someone dedicated to photography will want all photos to always open in Photoshop and leave Preview as a second option.
The same goes for any file on our Mac. And here's a tip. We can open files with any compatible app very simply without having to modify the default behavior. How? Simply right-click on the file, choose Open with, and then select the app we're interested in. If necessary, click on Other to choose from the ones we have installed.
Alternatively, we can modify which app opens the file when we simply double-click on it. We'll do this by following these steps:
- Select the file we want to modify.
- Press Command (⌘) + I.
- In the Open with section, choose the new default application.
- Click on Change All.
It may seem like a minor detail, but by customizing the way different types of files open on our Mac, we significantly improve our efficiency and workflow. Settings like this allow us to adapt the work environment to our preferences and needs, making it more intuitive and enjoyable to use.
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