With default settings, when you double-click on a picture file in Windows 10, the picture file is opened with the Photos app. This is because the Photos app is the default photo viewer in Windows 10 and not the classic Windows Photo Viewer.
The Photos app was first launched with Windows 8 and has seen significant improvements in Windows 10. Photos, the default image viewer in Windows 10, allows you quickly edit and share your photos.
Unlike the classic Windows Photos Viewer program, it lets you add filters to your picture, change brightness, contrast, and also add various effects to your photos with a few mouse clicks.
The default Photos app is really impressive, but it usually takes a few seconds to open an image and is definitely slower than the classic Windows Photo Viewer.
If you love the classic Windows Photos Viewer and want to make Windows Photo Viewer the default photo viewer in Windows 10, follow the given below directions to change the default photo viewer in Windows 10.
After setting Windows Photo Viewer as default, you can always right-click on an image file, click Open with, and then click Photos to open and edit an image file using the Photos app.
NOTE: As you probably have noticed by now, it’s not possible to change the default photo viewer from the file context menu. In previous Windows versions, we could use the “Open with” to change default programs, but the feature has been removed from Windows 10.
Also read: How to enable Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 11
Method 1 – using the Settings app
Method 2 – using the classic Default Programs
Set Windows Photos Viewer as default picture viewer
Method 1 of 2
Step 1: Navigate to the Start menu, click the Settings icon to open the Settings app. You can also use Windows + I hotkey to quickly open the Settings app.
Step 2: Navigate to Apps > Default apps.
Step 3: On the right-side, scroll down to see the Photo viewer section.
Step 4: Photos app is the default Photo viewer. To change it to Windows Photo Viewer, click on Photo entry to see Choose an app, and then click Windows Photo Viewer to make it as the default photo viewer in Windows 10.
NOTE: If the Windows Photo Viewer does not appear the Choose an app list, please enable it by following instructions in our how to enable Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10 guide.
Method 2 of 2
This is the traditional method of setting Windows Photo Viewer as the default photo viewer.
Step 1: Open the classic Control Panel. Change the View by to Small icons and then click Default Programs to open the Default Programs window.
Step 2: Click Set your default programs.
Step 3: On the left side, click on Windows Photo Viewer entry.
Step 4: Now, on the right-side, click Set this program as default.
Step 5: Finally, click Choose defaults for this program (see picture), check the Select All checkbox in the resulting window (or select specific image file types), and then click Save button.
What’s your default picture viewer in Windows 10?
