How to Change Default Apps in Ubuntu

Default apps in Ubuntu decide which program opens when you double-click a file or click a link. A video file opens in a media player, a web link opens in a browser, and a text file opens in an editor. Ubuntu picks these programs for you at install time, but you can change any of them.

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and newer releases let you change the common defaults in the Settings app. For other file types, you can use the file’s Properties window in the Files app. Neither method needs a restart. The new choice applies the next time you open a file of that type.

How to change the default program for file types in Ubuntu Linux

The short version is this. Open the Settings app, go to the Default Applications section, and choose your preferred program from the drop-down menus for web browsing, email and other file types. For anything not listed there, use the Properties window of a file, which this guide covers in the second half.

Most configuration options live inside the main Settings app. You reach it through the system menu in the top-right corner of the desktop, the area with the network, volume and power icons.

1. Click the system menu in the top-right corner of the screen.

A panel drops down with quick toggles, the volume and brightness sliders, and buttons for settings and power options. Settings is the one you need, because it is where you pick the preferred applications for specific file types.

2. On the system menu, select Settings, as highlighted below.

The Settings window opens, with a list of categories down the left side.

3. Click Default Applications in the Settings⚙️ app. If you can’t see it, scroll down the left-hand list.

The right-hand pane now shows the default applications for the main file types, each with its own drop-down menu.

4. Find the category you want to change, such as web, mail, music, video or photos.
5. Click its drop-down menu and pick the program you want to use.

The choice is saved as soon as you select it. There is no Apply or OK button to press.

Some file types can be opened by several programs. The list under each drop-down shows the installed programs that can handle that type. Choosing one from the list makes it the default. To go back, open the same drop-down and select the original program again.

1. Open the Files app and browse to a file of the type you want to change.
2. Right-click the file, then select Properties.

3. Select the Open With tab.

You should see a list of programs that can open this type of file. The current default is highlighted.

4. Click the application you want to use.
5. Click Set as default.

This changes the default for every file of that type, not just the one you right-clicked. Double-click a similar file afterward to confirm it opens in the new program.

The list may also have an Other Applications section. If it contains a program you sometimes want to use but don’t want as the default, you can add it as an option without changing the default.

6. Select the application under Other Applications.
7. Click Add.

The program now appears under Recommended Applications. It will show up in the right-click Open With menu for that file type, while your default stays the same.

That completes the process. If a file still opens in the wrong program, check that you changed the right file type. A .txt file and a .doc file, for example, have separate defaults.

Conclusion:

• Changing the default application for a file type in Ubuntu saves you from picking the same program by hand every time you open a file.
• Whether you want a specific music player for MP3 files or a particular editor for text documents, you can set it in Settings or in a file’s Properties window.
• Follow the steps in this post to change and manage the default applications on your Ubuntu system. You can switch back at any time.