How To Change A Download Type On Mac

 

Any time a user installs a new application on a Mac, it becomes the default Mac app for that file type. For example, PDF files open by default in the Mac Preview app. However, if a user downloads and installs Adobe’s Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat DC, the default file type will change so that all PDF files will open with Adobe Acrobat. We’ll show users how to take control of what apps open when they double-click a certain file type. Changing the Default Mac app is a simple procedure that will save users some time and avoid annoyances.

Why Change Default Mac App for a File Type

Why would you want to change a default Mac app for a file type? Let’s say you want to open a video file using VLC Media player instead of Apple’s QuickTime Player. Maybe you want all JPG picture files to open in a photo editor instead of OS X Preview.

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These and other file types open in a default program set by the operating system. The installation procedure of some apps will change the default. They’re not supposed to change the default Mac app for a file type without the user’s agreement. However, you may not see the dialog box that asks for permission. Likewise, the programmer may not ask for the permission in a way that makes it clear that the program’s changing your default app. Follow the steps below to fix this or change it.

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How to Change Default Mac App for Any File Type

Find a file of the type you want to change the default mac app for by opening Finder. Some file types won’t show you the extension that identifies the type of file. The extension is the ending of the file. For example a picture file type known as JPEG has a file ending of JPG. So a file might carry the name photo0003.jpg. Notice the three letters after the period are JPG. Other common file types you may wish to change include …

  • PDF – portable document format also called Acrobat files, which open in Preview by default
  • GIF – another image format called Graphics Interchange Format which opens in Preview by default
  • DOC – a document file often associated with Word or some other word processor
  • DOCX – a proprietary Microsoft Word format
  • MP3 – music files, which open in iTunes by default
  • M4V – a video format
  • MP4 – another video format
  • MOV – movie files, which open in QuickTime by default

When a user opens Finder and looks at a file, they might not see these endings. To make sure you can see yours, open Finder and then, from the Finder menu at the top left select Preferences. You can also use the keyboard shortcut COMMAND + , (the comma).

Inside the ensuing dialog box open the Advanced tab by clicking Advanced in the top right corner of the box.

Click to put a check mark in Show all filename extensions in that dialog box. Exit the box by clicking the red button in the upper left corner. From now on you’ll see all the file extensions of every file in Finder.

Now search for a file with the extension you want to change. For example, you installed Acrobat and the installation procedure moved the default app from the OS X Preview app to Adobe Acrobat DC. You don’t want to open the Adobe Acrobat document creator program from Creative Cloud suite just to view a PDF file. Instead, you want to see all PDF files in Preview. Find a PDF file stored on your computer using Finder. If you can’t find one use the search box in Finder. It’s in the upper right corner (see below).

Once you find a file, right-click on the file and choose Get Info from the menu that pops up.

A dialog box will open. Look for the Open With section. You’ll see a drop down box.

The drop down box will list all the OS X apps that can handle that file type. Choose the preferred program and it will instantly change the default Mac app for that file type.

The Change All button will change all file types for that app so that any other customizations will revert back to defaults. For example, all file types that normally open with Microsoft Word will change back to opening with Word. If you changed one of the types, like the DOC file format making it open in another word processor while keeping DOCX files assigned to Word, clicking Change All will change both back to Word. So pick it only when you know what you’re doing.

You may want to go back into Finder’s preferences to hide file extensions after you finish because all apps will start showing their .app file extension. If seeing the .app extension annoys you follow the steps above to hide the extensions in Finder Preferences.

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By default, most downloaded PDF files open in the Internet browser currently in use, usually in a new window or tab. This page will outline how to make the browser download PDF files automatically, rather than open them in a new tab. To proceed, select your browser from the list below and follow the instructions.

Tip

To change the name of a PDF file you want to download, right-click the download link and select Save As.

Microsoft Edge Legacy

Microsoft Edge Legacy does not download PDF files by default and this setting cannot be changed. However, Edge Legacy does give you the option to save a PDF after it opens in the browser.

  1. Open the Microsoft Edge Legacy browser.
  2. Browse to the PDF file you'd like to view or download and click it.
  3. The file should automatically open in the browser window.
  4. To save (download) the PDF, click the icon, located near the top-right corner of the browser window.

Internet Explorer

Similar to Microsoft Edge Legacy, Internet Explorer displays PDF files by default, instead of offering to download them for you. However, downloading a PDF is still possible. Follow these steps to view or download a PDF with Internet Explorer.

  1. Open the Internet Explorer browser.
  2. Browse to the PDF you'd like to view or download and click it.
  3. The file should automatically open in the browser window.
  4. To save (download) the PDF, click the icon, located near the bottom of the browser window. If you do not see the save icon, move your mouse towards the bottom of the browser window, and a black bar should appear, where the save icon is located.

Google Chrome

By default, Google Chrome opens a PDF file in the browser window instead of saving it to the downloads folder. To change how Google Chrome treats PDF files in the browser, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
  2. Click the icon in the top-right corner of the browser window.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu that appears.
  4. On the Settings window, under Privacy and security, click the Site Settings option.
  5. Scroll down the Site Settings screen to find and click the PDF documents option.
  6. Next to Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome, click the toggle switch to set to the On or Off position. Chrome downloads a PDF when the toggle switch is set to On and displays a PDF in the browser when set to Off.
  1. Close the Settingstab.

Mozilla Firefox

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If you're using Firefox, follow these steps.

How To Change A Download Type On Mac Os

  1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser.
  2. Click the icon in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
  3. Select from the drop-down menu that appears.
  4. On the left side of the screen, make sure the General option is selected.
  1. In the Applications section (under the Files and Applications heading), select the Portable Document File (PDF) entry in the Content Type column, and click the down arrow icon to the right.
  2. To make Firefox automatically download PDF files, select Save File from the drop-down menu.
Tip

To have PDF files open in the browser again, repeat these steps and select the Preview in Firefox option or Use other option to choose another program.

Opera

By default, Opera opens a PDF file in the browser window instead of saving it to the downloads folder. To change how Opera treats PDF files in the browser, follow the steps below.

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  1. Open the Opera Internet browser.
  2. Click the Opera menu button in the upper-left corner.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu that appears.
  4. In the Settings window, under Privacy and security, click the Site Settings option.
  1. Scroll down to the Site Settings screen to find and click the PDF documents option.
  2. Next to Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Opera, click the toggle switch to set to the On or Off position. Opera downloads a PDF when the toggle switch is set to On and displays a PDF in the browser when set to Off.

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  1. Close the Settingstab.

Additional information

  • See the PDF definition for further information about PDF files, questions and answers, and related links.