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How to Change App Protocol Associations in Windows 11

Change which Windows 11 app opens a protocol or link type through Settings > Apps > Default apps, using either a search or the app-first route.
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To change the app that opens a particular link type in Windows 11, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, find the protocol or link type, and pick one of the apps Windows offers for it. Microsoft’s official guidance describes two routes to this same change: search for the protocol directly, or start from an app and work through the link types it supports.

Route 1: Search for the protocol or link type

Use this route when you know the protocol or link type you want to change, such as a web link scheme or a specific file type.

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  1. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
  2. In the search box on the Default apps page, type the name of the protocol or link type.
  3. Select the matching result.
  4. Choose one of the apps Windows offers for that type.

The setting applies to the protocol or link type you selected. It does not reassign every other association the same app might support.

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Route 2: Start from the app

Use this route when you know which app you want to use but not the exact name of the protocol.

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
  2. Select the app you want to check. The page lists the file types and link types that app can open.
  3. Select the link type you want to change.
  4. Choose your preferred app from the options shown.

Choosing between the two routes

  • Search route: fastest when you already know the protocol or file type name.
  • App route: useful for reviewing everything a specific app can handle before changing anything.

What the procedure does and does not cover

Each change is made one type at a time. Setting one link type to a particular app leaves other link types, and other apps’ defaults, as they were. If you want to review several associations, repeat the steps for each one.

If your preferred app is not listed

The steps above only let you choose from the apps Windows offers for that type. Microsoft’s documented instructions do not explain how to add a handler that is missing from the list, so if the app you want does not appear, the Default apps page alone will not solve it.

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Windows 10 note

Microsoft’s page covering default apps also applies to Windows 10, and the menu labels there are similar. The steps above are written for Windows 11.

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Source

Microsoft Support, “Change default apps in Windows,” accessed 2026-10-07. The article applies to Windows 11 and Windows 10.

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