To change the default video player in Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Default apps, search for .mp4, select the result, choose your player, and select Set default. Repeat for each additional video format you want that player to open. These steps use Windows 11 menus.
The short version
- Start with MP4: Assign your preferred installed player to .mp4 in Default apps.
- Cover other formats: Repeat the change for extensions such as .mkv, .avi, and .mov.
- Use a video file: Right-click it, select Open with > Choose another app, choose your player, and select Always.
- Install first when needed: Get your preferred player before assigning it to the video formats it supports.
| Option | When to use it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| File extension search | Change a known format such as .mp4 | Repeat for other extensions |
| Player application page | Work through a player's registered formats | Choose each association individually |
| Choose defaults by file type | Browse registered extensions | Select the extension's current association |
| Open with | Start from a video file | Select Always to save the choice |
| File Properties | Change the association from file details | Affects the file extension |
| Protocol association | Assign a registered streaming link type | Requires a compatible application |
| Direct Settings shortcut | Go straight to Default apps | Complete the selection in Settings |
| Windows application-choice prompt | Choose a newly installed handler when prompted | Select Always |
| Voice access | Operate Settings with spoken commands | Requires configured, listening Voice access |
| Group Policy | Configure defaults on managed PCs | Can reapply associations at sign-in |
| MDM policy | Deploy associations to supported managed devices | Requires the documented device conditions |
| DISM import | Prepare defaults for first sign-in | Applies during each user's first logon |
| VLC download | Get a player before changing defaults | Configure associations after installation |
Install your preferred player if needed
Your preferred player must be installed and support the video format you want to assign. If it is already installed, continue to the file-type settings below.
If you want VLC, visit VideoLAN's official Windows download page and select Download VLC. After installation, configure its Windows associations using the steps below.
You can also open a video in a format the newly installed player registers to handle. If Windows presents an application-choice dialog, choose the player and select Always. If that prompt does not appear, use Default apps to make the selection.
Set the player for MP4 and other video formats
Open Settings, select Apps, then choose Default apps. Enter .mp4 in the file-type search box, then select the result. Choose your installed video player and select Set default.
Repeat for the other extensions you use, such as .mkv, .avi, .mov, .wmv, and .webm. Each extension has its own association, so changing .mp4 does not also assign every other video format to that player.
If another video format still opens in a different app, return to Default apps and change that extension too. Choose an installed player that supports that format.
Manage formats from the player page
To work through a player's registered formats, open Settings > Apps > Default apps. Under Set defaults for applications, select your preferred player. This route applies to applications registered with Windows as handlers for the relevant formats.
Select a video file type, choose your player, and select Set default. Repeat for each video extension you want to assign. You can also select the existing default player's application page and reassign its video extensions from there.
To browse the complete list of registered extensions, open Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose defaults by file type. Find the video extension and select its current association. Choose the desired player, then select Set default.
Change the default from a video file
Right-click a video file in File Explorer and select Open with > Choose another app. Select your preferred player, then select Always. This saves your choice for that file type.
Selecting a player directly from the Open with submenu is not the same as saving a default. If you used that shortcut and the next video opens in the previous app, return through Choose another app and select Always. Repeat with a sample file for each additional extension you want to change.
Use the file Properties dialog
You can also use the shared Windows file-association dialog through a file's details. Applying this route to video files follows the general Windows association mechanism. Right-click the video file and select Properties, then select Change in the Properties dialog.
Choose your desired player and select Set default, then select OK. The association applies to the extension, not just the selected file. You can also make the selection through the file-extension search in Settings.
Open Default apps directly or use voice controls
Open the Windows Run dialog to go directly to the default-app settings. Enter the following command, then press Enter.
ms-settings:defaultappsOnce Default apps opens, follow either the file-extension or application-page steps to save your choice. The shortcut opens Settings; you still choose the player and confirm the association there.
On Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, you can operate those controls with Voice access already configured and listening. Open Default apps, say Show numbers, then speak the number displayed on the control you need. Repeat to move through the file-type or application workflow and activate its final selection button.
Assign a player to a supported streaming link type
Video files and streaming links use separate associations. For a protocol registered by a compatible application, open Settings > Apps > Default apps and search for the relevant protocol. Select its association and choose a compatible installed player.
Alternatively, open Choose defaults by link type on the same page and select the registered protocol. Choose a compatible installed player for that association. This does not generally redirect videos embedded in websites to a desktop player.
Configure defaults on managed devices
If your choice changes again at sign-in on a managed PC, an administrative policy can be the reason. Group Policy can reapply associations and override your subsequent selection. The following administrative routes cover managed Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, Education, and applicable IoT Enterprise editions.
For Group Policy, first configure the desired associations on a reference PC. Open an elevated command prompt and export them with this command.
dism /online /export-defaultappassociations:C:\appassoc.xmlMake the XML file accessible to the target PC. Enabling the policy can replace users' subsequent association choices when it reapplies at sign-in. In Group Policy, open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer > Set a default associations configuration file. Select Enabled, specify the XML path, then select OK.
For MDM deployment, Microsoft specifies Microsoft Entra-joined clients for processing the policy on supported managed devices. Export the configured associations with the same command above, then Base64-encode the XML. Deploy the encoded configuration through ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ApplicationDefaults/DefaultAssociationsConfiguration.
On Windows 11 22H2 and later, the Version and Suggested attributes control whether associations apply repeatedly or once per configuration version. MDM takes precedence over the equivalent Group Policy, so account for that when both policies are configured.
Prepare defaults for each user's first sign in
For Windows image provisioning, DISM can import default associations that apply during each user's first logon. This does not immediately replace an existing signed-in user's default player. Start with a configured reference installation and export its associations with this command.
Dism.exe /Online /Export-DefaultAppAssociations:C:\AppAssoc.xmlImporting the prepared file sets the default associations applied during each user's first logon. On the target installation, import that file with this command.
Dism.exe /Online /Import-DefaultAppAssociations:C:\AppAssoc.xmlFrequently Asked Questions
Does changing the default video player affect other people using the PC?
Each personal file association applies to the current Windows user. Your selection sets the player for your own user account.
Will installing a new player automatically replace my current default?
Installing a player alone does not automatically replace an existing user choice. You still need to save your selection through the Windows default-app controls.
Why do older instructions show a single Video Player setting?
VideoLAN places the single Video Player category in its older Windows 10 instructions. For Windows 11, use the file-extension or application associations on the Default apps page.
Can a player's own default-app button make the change?
An application can send you to Windows Settings through its own default-app prompt, and the button labels vary by application. Complete the association choice in Windows Settings after that handoff.
Should I use a registry edit to force my preferred player?
Direct UserChoice registry edits and silent application-driven reassignment are not supported current methods. Microsoft requires user interaction through the Windows system interface for personal default-app selections, with management policies providing the administrative route.
Which Windows builds does VideoLAN offer for VLC?
VideoLAN lists Windows downloads including 64-bit and ARM64 builds. Its Windows player supports Windows 11.