On Windows 11, the Edge browser is the default PDF viewer. That is, whenever you open a PDF file, it will open in the Edge browser. While the Edge browser is a decent PDF viewer, it might be suitable for all. Especially, when you want to use a dedicated PDF viewer such as Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat DC.
Thankfully, you can change the default PDF viewer with just a few clicks.
In this tutorial, I will show you two methods to change the default PDF viewer on Windows 11. In this case, I’m showing how to set Adobe as the default PDF viewer but you can follow the same steps for other PDF viewers such as SumatraPDF, Foxit Reader, etc.
Before You Begin
Ensure the PDF viewer you want to set as default is installed. For example, I wanted to set Adobe Reader as the default PDF viewer, so I downloaded and installed it.
How to Change Default PDF Viewer on Windows 11
There are two ways you can set a PDF viewer, that is, from Windows Settings and via the right-click menu’s Open With option. I will show both methods, follow the one you like.
Change PDF Viewer from Right-click Menu
1. Open the File Explorer and go to the folder where the PDF file is located.
2. Right-click on the PDF file.
3. Select the Open With > Choose another app option.
4. Choose the PDF app from the list, in this case Adobe Reader.
5. Click the Always button.
From now on, whenever you open a PDF file, it opens the selected application.
Cannot Find the PDF App in the Open With App List
If your PDF application isn’t appearing in the Open With app list, scroll down and click on Choose an app on your PC, select the PDF program’s exe file, and click Open.
Change PDF Viewer from Settings App
1. Press the Windows key + I to open Windows Settings.
2. Go to the Apps page on the sidebar of the Settings window.
3. Click on the Default Apps option.
4. Find and click on your PDF application. For me, it’s Adobe Reader.
5. Click on the application name under the .pdf section.
6. Click the Switch Anyway option in the ‘Before you switch’ dialog box.
7. Select the app you want to set as the default PDF viewer and click Set default. For me, it’s Adobe Reader. So, I selected.
That’s it. You’ve changed the PDF viewer. From now on, the pdf file will open in the new default program. Since I set Adobe Reader as the default PDF viewer, all PDF documents will open in it.
If you have any questions, comment below and I will answer.
