To change the default PDF viewer in Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Default apps, search for .pdf, select its current app, choose your preferred viewer, and select Set default. Your chosen app must be installed and support PDF files. You can also make the change by right-clicking a saved PDF in File Explorer.
The Windows PDF default and your browser's PDF settings are separate controls. Assign .pdf in Windows first, then adjust your browser if PDFs from websites still open somewhere else.
The short version
- Main method: Search for .pdf in Settings > Apps > Default apps, select its current app, choose a viewer, and select Set default.
- File shortcut: Right-click a PDF, select Open with > Choose another app, choose your viewer, and select Always.
- Missing viewer: Install the PDF application before assigning it as the default.
- Browser PDFs: Browser viewing and downloaded-file auto-opening have separate settings.
| Method or option | Where to start | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Search by file type | Settings > Apps > Default apps | Assigns .pdf directly |
| Start search shortcut | Press Windows and search for default apps | Opens the same association settings |
| Persistent app picker | Open with > Choose another app | Changes the default when you select Always |
| PDF properties | Properties > Opens with | Shows and replaces the assigned app |
| Keyboard properties shortcut | Select a PDF and press Alt + Enter | Opens the same file properties |
| Application settings page | Set defaults for applications | Lets you start with your preferred viewer |
| Complete file-type list | Choose defaults by file type | Lets you browse to .pdf |
| Install Adobe Acrobat Reader | Adobe's download page | Adds a viewer you can select in Windows |
| Install SumatraPDF | SumatraPDF's download page | Provides an installed alternative to its portable app |
| Remove an unwanted viewer | Installed apps | Removes the app before you assign a replacement |
| Edge PDF downloads | Always download PDF files | Downloads web PDFs for opening with your Windows viewer |
| Chrome PDF downloads | PDF documents | Chooses downloading or browser viewing |
| Firefox PDF handling | Files and applications | Lets Firefox use the Windows default |
| Acrobat automatic opening | General preferences | Stops Acrobat automatically opening web downloads |
| Chrome automatic opening | Recent download history | Stops downloaded PDFs launching automatically |
Choose your PDF viewer in Settings
Open Settings, select Apps, then choose Default apps. In Enter a file type or link type, enter .pdf. Select the app currently assigned to that file type to open the viewer selection.
Choose the installed PDF viewer you want, then select Set default. This assigns the .pdf file type to that application. If your preferred viewer is missing, install it before returning to this setting.
For a shorter route to the same page, press Windows, enter default apps, and select Default apps. Search for .pdf, select its current app, choose your viewer, and select Set default.
Change the default from a saved PDF
In File Explorer, right-click a saved PDF and select Open with > Choose another app. Choose the viewer you want, then select Always. That final choice saves the selection for future PDF openings.
Selecting Just once changes only that opening and leaves the default unchanged. Older instructions may show the checkbox Always use this app to open .pdf files, but the current Windows 11 picker uses Always.
Use the PDF Properties window
Right-click a PDF and select Properties. Beside Opens with, select Change, then choose your preferred installed viewer. Select Set default, followed by OK in the Properties window. If your PC is managed by a system administrator and Change is missing, sign in with an administrator account or contact your administrator.
To open the same window with a keyboard, select a PDF in File Explorer and press Alt + Enter. You can operate the dialog with Tab, the Arrow keys, and Enter. When choosing Adobe's viewer, select Acrobat Reader if Reader is the only Adobe PDF application installed.
Find the PDF association another way
You can start with the application instead of the extension. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps, then find your preferred viewer under Set defaults for applications. Select it, select its .pdf association, choose the application, and select Set default.
Alternatively, open Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose defaults by file type. Find .pdf in the complete list and select its current application. Choose the replacement and select Set default.
Both routes change the same Windows file association as searching for .pdf. Choosing your default browser does not necessarily assign PDF handling too. Select the .pdf association explicitly when you want a browser to be your Windows PDF viewer.
Install a viewer that is missing from the choices
Your application must support PDFs and be registered to handle .pdf files to appear among the available viewers. If you need Adobe's viewer, download Adobe Acrobat Reader from its official page and install it. Return to Default apps, search for .pdf, select its current app, choose Reader, and select Set default.
For SumatraPDF, choose the appropriate Installer on the official download page, then install it and assign .pdf in Windows. SumatraPDF recommends installation when its portable application does not appear in Default apps. Installing the viewer and selecting it as the default are separate steps. Windows 11 in S mode only runs apps from the Microsoft Store, so you can't run either downloaded installer unless you switch out of S mode, and that switch is one-way.
You can keep the previous viewer installed when you change the default. If you also want to remove an unwanted PDF application, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find it, and select More > Uninstall. After removal, assign .pdf to your replacement in Default apps, because uninstalling alone does not reliably choose a particular viewer.
Make web PDFs use your chosen viewer
A PDF opened from a website can still appear inside your browser after you change the Windows default. Your browser controls web PDF handling separately. In Edge, enter the following address in the address bar, then press Enter.
edge://settings/content/pdfDocumentsTurn on Always download PDF files to download PDFs for opening with the Windows viewer. Turn it off to view them in Edge. Keep your preferred application assigned to .pdf in Windows, since this Edge setting does not change that association.
For Chrome, open More > Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > Additional content settings > PDF documents. Select Download PDFs to use downloaded files with your Windows viewer. Choose Open PDFs in Chrome when you want browser viewing.
Firefox lets you select the system viewer directly. Open its menu, then choose Settings > Downloads > Files and applications, select Portable Document Format (PDF), and open its Action menu. Choose Use Windows system default application; older Firefox layouts place the file-type controls under General > Applications.
Stop downloaded PDFs opening in another app
If downloaded PDFs keep launching Acrobat after you choose another Windows viewer, turn off Acrobat's separate auto-open setting. Open desktop Acrobat, press Ctrl + K, and select General. Uncheck Always open PDFs downloaded from the web, select OK, then assign your preferred .pdf default in Windows.
Adobe says changing the Windows default alone does not disable this automatic opening of downloaded PDFs. If Chrome or Edge downloads keep launching Acrobat, check this preference even when Windows already shows your preferred viewer.
Chrome also has a setting that automatically opens downloaded files of a particular type. After downloading a PDF, select Recent download history and right-click the PDF. If Always open files of this type is checked, uncheck it to stop that automatic opening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make Acrobat the default from inside the app?
Yes, if both Acrobat and Acrobat Reader are installed, Acrobat's preferences let you choose which one opens PDFs. In desktop Acrobat, press Ctrl + K, select General, then under Application Startup, select Select As Default PDF Handler. Complete the Windows selection for Acrobat or Acrobat Reader and select Set default when Windows presents that button. With only one Adobe application installed, set it through Windows Default apps or the PDF Properties window instead.
Why did installing Foxit leave another PDF viewer as the default?
Foxit removed automatic default assignment from its current installers. Open Foxit, select Help > Set to default PDF Reader, then select Foxit's .pdf association in the Windows settings page that opens. Choose Foxit and select Set default.
Why does Chrome still show the Acrobat viewer inside the browser?
The Adobe Acrobat Chrome extension has its own browser-viewer control. With the extension installed, select the Acrobat icon beside Chrome's address bar and turn off Use Acrobat in Chrome to stop that extension handling PDFs in Chrome. This setting is separate from your Windows PDF default.
Can a registry edit force a different PDF viewer?
There is no reliable supported current procedure for silently overwriting your PDF choice through direct registry edits. PDF-XChange says Windows detects and reverts direct writes to UserChoice. Use the Windows default-app selection instead.