To change which app opens PDFs, email-related files or links, or web links in Windows 11, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps. Search for the file extension or link type you want to change, select it, and choose an available app. You can also select an app on that page to inspect the file and link types it supports.
Choose whether to start with a file type or an app
Windows 11 offers two ways to manage default associations in Settings > Apps > Default apps:
- Start with a file or link type: Search for a type, such as
.pdf, select it, and choose an available app. - Start with an app: Select an app to see the file and link types Windows lists for it, then change the associations you need.
The available choices depend on which apps are installed and registered to handle that type. If the app you want is not listed, Windows may not recognize it as an available handler for that association.
Make a PDF open in your preferred app
- Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- Search for
.pdfand select the result. - Choose the available app you want Windows to use for PDFs.
.pdf is the file extension for Portable Document Format files. You can also use File Explorer: right-click a PDF, choose Open with > Choose another app, and select an installed app. Microsoft documents both the default-app settings route and the File Explorer option.
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Change the default email app or email associations
For Outlook, Microsoft’s Windows 11 instructions use the app-based route:
- Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- Find and select Outlook under the list of apps.
- Choose a mail-related file or link type shown for Outlook.
- Select Outlook, then confirm with Set default.
This is Microsoft’s documented method for setting Outlook associations; it does not mean Outlook is the only email app Windows can use. To use another app, select that app or search for the relevant file or link type, then choose it if Windows lists it as available. Microsoft’s file-extension reference identifies .eml as an email-file extension.
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Change which browser opens web links
Microsoft’s example for making Edge the default browser is to open Settings > Apps > Default apps, select Microsoft Edge, and choose Set default beside its default-browser setting.
For a different browser, use the app-based or link-type method on the Default apps page and choose it from the available options. The app list and associations shown by Windows determine what you can assign there.
What to consider when choosing an app
For this settings change, the practical first check is whether Windows lists the app for the file or link type you want it to open. The Microsoft instructions cited here explain how to assign associations; they do not compare apps on features, privacy, accessibility, performance, price, or account integration. Choose among available apps based on the qualities that matter to you, and consult product-specific information for those comparisons.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Microsoft references
These steps reflect Microsoft Support’s pages Change Default Apps in Windows, Make Outlook the default program for email, contacts, and calendar, and Common file name extensions in Windows, retrieved October 3, 2026. Settings labels and routes can change as Windows or Outlook updates.
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