If you’ve ever wanted to change the default app Android uses to do something, such as play videos, view pictures, or the default system launcher, then this post is for you. Android lets you pick a default app from a list of possible apps if no default is assigned, but what happens if you accidentally pick the wrong one, or if you change your mind?
This post will discuss three ways to manage default apps in Android; (1) doing it manually via the system settings, (2) using a free app that can manage all of the default actions from a single place, and (3) using a free app whose sole purpose is to let you change the default launcher on demand.
Throughout this post we will use as an example how to change the default video player from one app to another.
1. Change Defaults Manually
The first step: you have to know the default app you want to change, which you will know since it opens every time you don’t want it to.
Next, go to settings / applications. Click on the ‘All’ tab in the upper right to make sure the app will be listed, then and down and open that application (i.e. the one that is the current default).
Next click ‘Clear Defaults’. After this, try to open the same file type again (in this case a video file). Android will automatically prompt you for an application to use. Check ‘make default’ on the bottom first, then click on the appropriate app you want and you’re done.
2. Default App Manager app: manage defaults from a single place
A free, ad-supported app which takes a much more holistic approach, and which does not require you to go hunting for apps in the system settings, and allows you to edit a lot of defaults all at once from the same screen.
Install (from the link above) and launch. Click on the ‘All Defaults’ page and find the default app that you want to change (in our case, the video player), and click the ‘clear’ button next to it (screenshot bottom left). Next, scroll down in ‘App Info’ and press ‘Clear Defaults’. Go back to the app via Android’s back button.
To set a new default app, click ‘Category Wise’ then scroll down to the desired file type (e.g. video in this case). Click on it, then click on ‘Set Default’ in the upper right. Lastly check the ‘use by default’ checkbox and select the app you want from the list.
3. Twisted Home Manager: switch default launchers
‘‘Twisted Home Manager’ is a free app without ads that does one thing only: it changes the default Android launcher. Very useful if you, like me, like to experiment with a lot of different launchers.
The main screen will show you all possible installed launchers. To remove from default click ‘Clear Default’, then click ‘Clear Default’ again in the app screen (see below).
To set a new default launcher, click ‘set defaults’, then check the ‘use default’ box in the bottom and choose a new launcher (see below)
Any thoughts or comments? Share them below.
