Set Preview as your default image program in three steps
Preview is the built-in image viewer on Mac, and you can make it open all your photos and screenshots automatically instead of Photos or another program. The process takes less than a minute and works the same way whether you want Preview to open JPEGs, PNGs, PDFs, or other file types.
To set Preview as default: right-click any image file, select "Open With," choose Preview, then click "Change All." That single action tells your Mac to use Preview for every file of that type going forward. You can repeat the process for different file types if you want Preview to handle some formats but not others.
Key Takeaways
- Right-click any image file, select "Open With," pick Preview, and click "Change All" to make Preview the default for that file type.
- You can set Preview as default for individual file types (like JPEGs) without affecting how other types open.
- If you change your mind, the same process works in reverse — just pick a different program and click "Change All" again.
- Preview handles images, PDFs, and some video formats, so you can use it as default for whichever of these you use most.
How to change the default for a single file type
Find an image file on your Mac in the format you want to change — a JPEG, PNG, screenshot, or any other type. Right-click the file and look for "Open With" in the menu that appears. A submenu will show you every program that can open that file type, with Preview usually listed near the top.
Click Preview to highlight it, then look for a button or option that says "Change All." This is the crucial step — clicking it once tells your Mac to use Preview for every file of that type from now on. After you click "Change All," the menu closes and the change takes effect when ready.
What happens if you only click "Open With" without "Change All"
If you click "Open With" and select Preview without clicking "Change All," Preview will open that one file only. The next time you double-click an image of the same type, your Mac will still use whatever program was set as default before. "Change All" is what makes the change permanent for the entire file type.
This distinction matters if you want to open a single file in Preview but keep your usual default program for everything else. In that case, just click Preview in the "Open With" menu and skip the "Change All" step.
Setting Preview as default for multiple file types
If you want Preview to handle JPEGs, PNGs, and screenshots, you will need to repeat the process for each type separately. Find a file of each type, right-click it, select "Open With," choose Preview, and click "Change All." Your Mac treats each file extension as its own category, so changing one does not affect the others.
This gives you control: you might want Preview to open your screenshots and PNGs, but keep Photos as the default for JPEGs. Just set Preview as default for the types you use most and leave the rest alone.
How to undo the change and pick a different default
If you decide Preview is not the right program for a file type, the same process reverses the change. Right-click an image of that type, select "Open With," choose whichever program you want instead (Photos, Finder, or another app), and click "Change All." Your Mac will switch back to that program as the default.
There is no "undo" button or settings panel that lists all your defaults in one place. Each file type is changed individually through the right-click menu, so if you have set Preview as default for several types and want to change them all back, you will need to repeat the process for each one.
Why Preview instead of Photos or another program
Preview is lightweight and opens images when ready without the extra features that Photos includes. If you use Photos to organize your library but just want a fast viewer for screenshots and one-off images, Preview is a good choice. Preview also handles PDFs and some video formats, so a single program can cover multiple file types.
The trade-off is that Preview does not organize images the way Photos does, and it does not sync with iCloud Photo Library. If you rely on Photos to keep your images organized across devices, setting Preview as default might mean you have to open Photos separately when you want to find something. The right choice depends on how you actually use images on your Mac.
What file types Preview can open as default
Preview works as a default for image formats including JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and BMP. It also handles PDFs, which means you can set Preview as your default PDF viewer if you prefer it to other options. Some video formats like MOV and MP4 will open in Preview, though you may prefer a dedicated video player for those.
If you try to set Preview as default for a file type it cannot actually open, your Mac will warn you. In practice, this is rare — Preview is compatible with most common image and document formats you will encounter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set Preview as default for all image types at once?
No, you have to set each file type individually through the right-click menu. There is no bulk option in Mac settings that lets you choose one default program for all images. If you use many different image formats, you will need to repeat the process several times.
Will setting Preview as default affect how images open in web browsers?
No. Web browsers have their own settings for how they handle images, and changing your Mac's default does not override them. When you click an image link in Safari or Chrome, the browser will still open it the way that browser is configured to do.
What if Preview does not show up in the "Open With" menu?
Preview should appear for any image or PDF file. If it does not, try restarting your Mac or checking that Preview is still in your Applications folder. You can also drag Preview from Applications onto the "Open With" menu to add it manually.
Can I set different defaults for different folders?
No, defaults explore to the entire file type across your Mac. A JPEG in your Downloads folder will open with the same program as a JPEG on your Desktop. If you need different programs for different situations, you will have to manually choose which program to use each time.
Does this change affect how my Mac handles screenshots?
Yes, if you set Preview as default for PNG files (the format Mac uses for screenshots), your screenshots will open in Preview when you double-click them. You can set Preview as default for PNGs without changing how other image types open.