If you are using your mobile phone without customizing various options? Chances are that you are missing a lot of options and perks. One such change you might benefit from is tinkering with default apps. This is why here we are to guide you on how to set, remove and change default apps on Android mobile phones and tablets.
We use our mobile phones for many purposes and tasks. From making calls, writing and sending texts to watching videos, and taking and editing pictures there is a lot this device handles for us daily. But for each action to perform, there is a default app.
But the best thing about the Android world is that there is a vibrant developer community working hard to give us better and better options when it comes to different apps performing various tasks. So this is why we are here to help you make a perfect choice.
How to Set, Remove, and Change Default Apps on Android
When it comes to default apps, these are the ones that carry out different actions on our devices. Let’s say you have a video file that you have recently received from a friend. When you tap on it without any default app ready to take the action, it will not start to play immediately.
Then your phone will ask you which tool you want to use to open this file. This will happen every time you want to play a video file. But once you set a default app, this extra step will be skipped automatically.
This is just one instance. Many other tasks carry the same process. Such as you have an audio file or a link to a website. A default link from a social media application such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
How to Set a Default App on Android mobile?
You might have faced this choice whenever you have installed a new application on your mobile phone device. As well as when we try to open or use something for the first time, we will be asked to select an app. However, it might vary a bit with each version of OS your device is carrying.
For example, if you have installed a VLC media player, the next time you open a video file there will be a prompt with a message to choose VLC as your default app, once you tick the always use this app, this will set it as a default choice.
But if you pick the ‘once’ option, this will be a one-time action and you might have to repeat the process next time again. But at the same time, you can pick another application from the list instead.
How to Remove a Default App on Android?
Sometimes we do not want a default app to automatically open files for us. For instance, there is a link that you don’t want to appear in your browsing history. Then, there is no point in opening it in the Google app if it is set as your default app for links.
But thanks to the settings options, there is the option to remove default apps whenever you want. For this simply go to Settings and find ‘Apps & Notifications’ and you can find all the applications here. Open the ‘Advanced settings’ and locate ‘Tap open by default
Here you will find a ‘Clear defaults/ Clear Default Preferences’ option. Press it and this will clear the settings for you. Now, the next time you choose a file it will prompt which application you want to use.
How to Change Default App
This is the actual action you must be taking if you want the default application to change for you on your Android smartphone. For this simply head to “Settings’ on your system. Locate the ‘Apps’ section and find the ‘Default apps’ if you have an Android 12 device.
Here you can find all the default apps set for various actions including browser, digital assistant, phone, SMS, and many more. Once, here tap a category and you will see a list of apps that can perform the same task for you.
Here you can select your favorite and set it as the default app. Starting from this moment this application will be responsible to take care of your prompt or action. This is all about setting default apps if you want to know how to unhide hidden apps here is the guide.
Conclusion
This is all about how to set, remove and change default apps on Android devices. If you have read the complete article, you are ready to navigate through various options and use your smartphone like a pro. Share any other relevant tip that you think we have missed in this guide, using the comments section below.