How to Change the Default Photo Viewer in Windows 11

What opens your pictures by default right now

On a standard Windows 11 PC, the Photos app opens image files. It handles viewing, basic editing and resizing. If you have installed another viewer, the installer may have claimed some file types, and the others still open in Photos.

The updated Photo Viewer in Windows Insider builds

Microsoft’s announcement, Coming to Windows 11: An updated Photos experience, describes an updated native Photo Viewer. Individual images opened from File Explorer or elsewhere in Windows open in this viewer, and it is the default for opening image files.

This is in Windows Insider preview builds only so far. Microsoft may change this before it reaches everyone, so the behaviour may still change.

Microsoft has also said the Photos app will get a new Gallery, a faster Viewer and a rebuilt Editor. It will also add tools such as Relight and object removal. Microsoft says the rollout began on October 15, 2026, but it does not say which Windows builds include the change yet. Microsoft has not said whether the Default apps page changes for the new viewer. If you are in the Windows Insider program and run a preview build, check Settings › Apps › Default apps on your own PC to see what it offers.

Before you start

Windows only lists apps that sign up for image file types when they are installed. If your viewer is a portable app (one that runs without installing), it may not appear. The troubleshooting section below covers that case.

None of these steps require administrator privileges. They change the default for your own user account only. On a work or school PC, your organisation can lock default apps with a Windows policy, which is a rule set by IT that controls what users can change. The option may be greyed out or reset at sign-in.

Windows 11 Home and Pro behave the same here, and you do not need to restart.

Change the default photo viewer in 🪟 Windows 11 from Settings

This method changes the default photo viewer for each image format in one place. Follow these steps to open Settings, choose your new viewer for each image type, and test that it opens.

1. Open Settings⚙️. Press Win+I. The Settings⚙️ window opens with a list of categories on the left.

   

2. Select Apps. It is in the left pane. The page shows options such as Installed apps and Default apps.

   

3. Select Default apps. The page lists your installed apps and a search box🔍 for file types. Settings › Apps › Default apps is the full path.

   

4. Click the file type search box🔍. It sits near the top of the page. Its label varies between Windows 11 builds, but it asks for a file type or link type.
5. Type .jpg and select the result. Windows shows the app that currently opens .jpg files, usually Photos.
6. Select the app currently listed. A list of installed apps that can open this file type appears.
7. Choose your preferred viewer. If it is missing from the list, select a “More apps” or “Look for another app on this PC” option if one appears. Then browse to the app’s .exe file. The .exe file is the program itself, usually under 📁C:\Program Filescopy.
8. Select Set default. On some builds the button reads OK instead. The file type now shows your chosen app.
9. Repeat for each format. Common ones are .jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp and .webp. Each needs its own change.
10. Test the result. Open File Explorer📁 and double-click a picture. It should open in the app you chose.

If the picture still opens in Photos, you may have changed the wrong extension. Check the file’s type first, as described below. Right-click the file, select Properties, and check the Type of file line on the General tab. Then set that extension.

Change the default from the right-click menu

This method changes the default photo viewer for one file type, starting from a picture you already have. It is faster when you only care about one format.

1. Open File Explorer📁. Press Win+E, then browse to a picture of the type you want to change.
2. Right-click the image. A compact menu opens. If you do not see Open with, select Show more options or press Shift+F10.
3. Select Open with. A short list of apps appears, with Choose another app at the bottom.
4. Select Choose another app. A window opens listing apps that can open this file.
5. Select your preferred viewer. If it is not shown, select More apps and scroll down the list.
6. Select Always. On some builds, this is a checkbox labelled “Always use this app to open” the file type, followed by an OK button.

The picture opens in the new app, and every file of that type does the same from now on. This approach changes only the extension of the file you clicked. A .png file will not switch when you change a .jpg file.

Set defaults starting from the app

The Default apps page also lets you start from the app instead of the file type. This works well when you install a viewer and want it to take over every format it supports in one visit.

1. Open Settings › Apps › Default apps. Use Win+I, then select Apps and Default apps.
2. Search for the app by name. Use the search🔍 box above the app list. Select the app when it appears.
3. Review the file types listed. The page shows each file type the app can open and which app holds it now.
4. Select an image file type. A picker opens for that extension.
5. Choose the app and confirm. Repeat for each image type in the list.

The same approach works for any other file type. For a worked example with a text editor, see how to make Notepad++ the default in Windows 11. For the general Default apps layout, read how to choose default apps in Windows 11.

If your photo viewer is missing or the change does not stick

Work through these causes in order, starting with the first one. Check them in this order.

The viewer does not appear in the list

Windows lists only apps that register for the file type during installation. A portable app often skips this step. Reinstall the app with its installer if one exists, or use the Look for another app on this PC option and select the app’s .exe file.

If you still cannot pick it, the app may not support that format. Many viewers handle .jpg and .png but not newer formats such as .webp, so check the app’s supported formats.

The option is greyed out or resets

On a work or school PC, an administrator can control default apps through policy. In that case, ask your IT team. On a personal PC, a Windows update or an app installer can change a default without asking. If the default changes back, repeat the steps in the Settings section above.

For a related pattern with browsers, see why Windows 11 keeps resetting your default browser. Image defaults can reset for similar reasons.

The classic Windows Photo Viewer is not listed

The older Windows Photo Viewer is not offered as an option on a standard Windows 11 install. Bringing it back needs an edit to the Windows registry, which is the database that stores Windows settings. This guide does not cover that edit. [Registry method: to be verified]. Microsoft has not confirmed a way to restore it, so choose one of the installed apps in the list instead.

Pictures open in a different app than expected

Check the exact extension of the file. A picture named photo.jpeg uses .jpeg, not .jpg. A file with no visible extension may have it hidden. In File Explorer, select View › Show › File name extensions to display it.

Undo the change

To go back for one file type, repeat the Settings steps and choose Photos again. To undo a single app’s choices, follow how to reset an app to default in Windows 11.

What to do next

Defaults can change after a feature update or an app reinstall, so check one picture after either. If Windows keeps reverting your choices, resetting default apps to Microsoft recommendations shows what Windows applies when it resets them. If you are in the Windows Insider program and run a preview build, revisit Settings › Apps › Default apps after each preview update, because Microsoft may change how the updated Photo Viewer is assigned before release.