How To Set VLC As Default Video Player in Windows 11 & 10

Want to use VLC Media Player as your primary video player? Here’s how to set VLC as your default video player on Windows 11 & 10.

For Windows, there is no better video player than VLC Media Player. In terms of video format compatibility, it is miles ahead of other video players. Not only that, but the plethora of options and a simple user interface make VLC a good choice for beginners and advanced users alike. One of the best things about VLC Media Player is that it shows only the options you need while making it easy to access the advanced options. Put simply, VLC is one of those applications that every user needs.

By default, Windows uses the built-in Video Player. i.e., Windows will play any video you try to open in the default Video Player app. Though the default player is pretty good, it is not as good as the VLC Media Player.

Thankfully, if you want to use VLC Media Player as your default player, you can easily set it via the Settings app. That way, when you try to open any video file, it opens automatically in VLC Media Player. In this quick and easy guide, I will show you how to set VLC as the default video player on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Let’s get started.

Before You Start

• Please install VLC Media Player before proceeding.

Set VLC Media Player As the Default Video Player in Windows 11

1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar.
2. Select the “Settings” option.
3. Go to the “Apps” tab on the sidebar.
4. Click the “Default Apps” option on the right panel.
5. Scroll down, find “VLC Media Player” and click it.
6. Now, click each file type and select “VLC Media Player“.
7. Click the “Set default” button.
8. Do this for all popular formats such as MP4, AVI, MKV, MPG, MPEG4, and WAV
9. Once done, close the “Settings” app.
10. With that, VLC Media Player is the default video player in Windows 11.

Note: Windows 11 currently doesn’t support setting default apps for all file types supported by an app at once.

Set VLC Media Player As the Default Video Player in Windows 10

You can change the default video player to VLC using the Windows 10 Settings app. Here is where to find the option and change it.

1. Install VLC if it is not already installed.
2. Press the “Start key + I” to open Settings.
3. Click the “Apps” option.
4. Select “Default apps” on the sidebar.
5. Click on the “Choose a default” option under “Video Player“.
6. Select “VLC Media Player” from the list.
7. Close the Settings app.
8. With that, you made VLC the default video player in Windows 10.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

As always, open the Settings app in Windows 10. You can do that by pressing the “Start key + I” shortcut or searching for it in the Start menu.

After opening the Settings app, click the “Apps” option and then go to the “Default Apps” tab on the sidebar.

As you can tell from the tab name, this is where you can set default apps for various activities like browsing, mail, media, etc. Here, click the “Choose a default” option under the “Video Player” section.

Next, select “VLC Media Player” from the available list.

Windows will set VLC Media Player as the default video player as soon as you select the option. Changes are automatically saved. So, you can safely close the Settings app.

That is it. With that, VLC is the default video player on your computer. From now on, whenever you try to open a supported video file, it will be opened in VLC. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.

Good to read: How to back up VLC Settings