It can sometimes be frustrating when a file on your iPhone or iPad keeps opening in the wrong app. Whether it’s a PDF that automatically appears in Preview or an image that doesn’t open in your favorite editor.
iOS and iPadOS often choose which app is used by default. Fortunately, you can exert more influence on this than you think. With a few settings you can determine in which app a file should be opened by default.
Why default apps are important
When you open a file via the Files app or from an email, iOS automatically chooses a suitable app. That is often fine, but not always the app you prefer to use. Think of opening a PDF in Adobe Acrobat instead of Preview, a text file in Notepad+ instead of Pages, or a ZIP file with a specific archive app. By defining a standard app, you save time and avoid having to choose via the sharing menu or context menu every time.
Plus, this provides a more consistent experience, especially when switching between your Mac and iPhone. For years it has been possible to set a default program per file type on the Mac, and thanks to recent improvements this is now also possible for many file types on your Apple mobile devices.
Choose default app for files
- Open the Files app on your iPhone or iPad
- Place your finger on the desired file
- Long press the file
- In the pop-up menu, select ‘Open with‘
Below is a list of available apps that you can set up. Choose the app you want to use as the default for this type of file. This way you can also select the option ‘Quick view preview‘, which will ensure that, for example, images or PDFs are first opened as a preview in the Files app. You then have the option to open it in a separate app.
Plus, with these steps you can set PDFs to open automatically in your favorite PDF app, making working with files much more efficient.