Get the most out of your PDFs by changing your default PDF viewer to a PDF editor.

Tired of having to open your PDF editor separately? Read our guide to changing the default PDF viewer on your computer.

Regardless if you're using Windows or Mac, your computer will have a default program to view and open PDF files.

These default PDF viewers are great at reading and looking at PDF files. But you'll need a PDF editor if you plan on doing any edits or changes to a PDF.

Even for basic tasks such as adding text or highlighting exiting text.

If you make edits or changes to PDFs on a regular basis, it's a good idea to set your default PDF app as your PDF editor.

This ensures that your PDF editor will open every time you open a PDF.

This puts all your PDF-editing tools at your fingertips. Which saves you time in the long-run, and helps you get the most out of your PDFs.

We'll show you how to change your default PDF viewer to PDF Pro, our all-in-one PDF editor, converter, OCR, and security tool.

What to Know Before You Start

• PDF viewers are great for viewing and reading PDFs, but not for editing or modifying PDFs.
• Each computer has its own default PDF editor. Windows: Microsoft Edge, Mac: Preview.
• There's three easy ways to change your default PDF viewer: File Explorer, Control Panel, and the Settings app ([Windows button] + [i] > Apps > Default Apps > Choose Default App By File Type > PDF > PDF Pro.

Why Change Default PDF Viewers?

Whether you're using Windows or macOS (Mac), your computer will have its own default app to open and view PDF files.

For Windows, it's Microsoft Edge. For Mac, it's Preview.

The default PDF viewer on your computer is great for quickly viewing or reading a PDF, but probably not great at modify or changing the PDF.

For anything more than that, such as annotating, highlighting, editing, etc. you'll need a PDF editor.

A good PDF editor can help you create, edit, convert, merge, OCR, batch process, and more.

We recommend getting a PDF editor that's easy to use, and setting it as your default PDF viewer.

Since all your PDF editing tools will be at your fingertips whenever you open a PDF, you'll get the most out of your documents.

How to Change Default PDF Viewer on Windows

There are three different ways to change the default PDF viewer on your Windows computer: By using File Explorer, Control Panel, or the Settings App (with keyboard shortcuts).

Method 1: File Explorer

You can change your default PDF viewer from the File Explorer when you right-click on a PDF.

1. Open the Windows File Explorer.
2. Find and right-click any PDF file.
3. Select Open with > Choose another app.
4. Scroll down to find and select PDF Pro. (If you don't find it: click more apps > Look for another app on this PC).
5. Check the Always use this app to open .pdf files checkbox.
6. Press OK.

Method 2: Control Panel

You can change the default PDF viewer from the Control Panel.

1. Open Control Panel (press Windows button > type "control p" in the search bar > Control Panel).
2. Click Programs > Set your default programs > choose default apps by file type.
3. Scroll down the list to find .pdf, then set the app to PDF Pro.

TLDR:

Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs > Set your default programs > choose default apps by file type > .pdf > PDF Pro.

Method 3: Settings App

One of the easiest ways to change the default PDF viewer is by using keyboard shortcuts to open the Settings app.

1. On your keyboard press [Windows button] + [i].
2. Press Apps.
3. Default Apps.
4. Choose Default App By File Type.
5. Scroll down to PDF, then set the app to PDF Pro.

TLDR:

[Windows button] + [i] > Apps > Default Apps > Choose Default App By File Type > PDF > PDF Pro

How to Change Default PDF Viewer on Mac/macOS

The default PDF viewer for macOS is Preview. If you want to get more out of your PDFs, then you'll want to invest in a PDF editor for Mac.

Here's the easiest way to change your default PDF viewer on your macOS computer:

1. Open Finder.
2. Find and right-click on any PDF file (or [command] + click)
3. Click Get Info > Open with > [your preferred PDF editor] > Change all... >
4. Press Continue to finish.

Do More with Your PDFs

While the default viewer is great for reading PDFs, you'll need a PDF editor if you plan on doing anything else. (Including adding, editing, or highlighting text).

Get a PDF editor that's easy to use, and set it as your PDF viewer.

This will help you get the most out of your PDFs; all your PDF tools will be at your fingertips every time you open a PDF.

Do you need a powerful, easy-to-use PDF editor?

We recommend PDF Pro, our all-in-one PDF editor, converter, creator, annotator, security and OCR tool, and more.

It's affordable, powerful, and simple to use.

Other things PDF Pro can help you with:

• How to print a PDF
• How to OCR a PDF
• How to rotate a PDF
• How to flatten a PDF
• How to split PDF pages
• How to extract pages from PDF
• How to convert Excel to PDF
• How to convert Word to PDF

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FAQ

For your benefit, we've compiled & answered the most common questions related to changing the default PDF viewer.

How do I change the default PDF app in Windows 10?

One of the easiest ways to change the default PDF viewer on Windows 10 is by using keyboard shortcuts to open the Settings app. Steps:

[Windows button] + [i] > Apps > Default Apps > Choose Default App By File Type > PDF > PDF Pro

How do I change the default PDF reader in Windows 11?

One of the best ways to change the default PDF viewer on Windows 11 is by using keyboard shortcuts to open the Settings app. Steps:

[Windows button] + [i] > Apps > Default Apps > Choose Default App By File Type > PDF > PDF Pro

How do I change my default PDF viewer to Chrome?

You can change your default PDF viewer when you right-click on any PDF. Steps:

Windows File Explorer > right-click any PDF file > Open with > Choose another app > Chrome (If you don't find it: click more apps > Look for another app on this PC) > Always use this app to open .pdf files > OK.

How do I change the default PDF viewer after a reboot?

On Windows:
Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs > Set your default programs > default apps by file type > .pdf > PDF Pro.

On macOS:

Open Finder > Find and right-click on any PDF file (or [command] + click) > Click Get Info > Open with > [your preferred PDF editor] > Change all... > Continue.