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?
Charles says
My new Lenovo computer does not have the windows photo viewer app listed, grrr, so much for Windows 10 being great, its great all right, great at making a person mad as hell……
Bill says
The two solutions shown above no longer work because of the recent Windows 10 update. If you are like me and you don’t like the Photos app of Windows10 just delete it. This is what I did but found out that you cannot use Windows Photo Viewer to replace the Photos app since you cannot set the type of files that were in the Photos app. So, instead of reinstalling the Windows 10 Photo app I just downloaded a free photo viewer one from the web. It does not have the features of the Windows Photo Viewer but it is much better than the crappy Windows 10 Photos app.
Jan says
Reïnstall of Windows Photo Viewer will not help you in the end because Microsoft will sabotage your effords. After you have succeeded setting WPV as your standard viewer EVERY TIME you double-click a jpg Windows will ask you if you want to use WPV as standard viewer for opening jpg’s. A typical case of harassment but you’re not gonna win this.
Pam says
My issues is not that I can’t set it as default but that it seems to think EVERY graphic file is a threat and triggers a response. If I lower my security settings it does not help and of course that is really not what you want to do. Any ideas on how to get rid on that problem?
tom says
pretty sad we have to revert from the new and improved version of foto veiwer that comes with w10 back to an earlier version to see our pics.. the new viewer in w10 is a joke…it crashes, only views say 20 pics in a file with 100 in it..
thanks 4 helping me to get to an earlier version.
and for that matter the new ms “edge is another joke..
glad i didnt pay anything for w10 as i would have felt ripped off.
ma3cs says
Come on .. it’s about missing zoom on this new app from windows 10 ?
Press Ctrl and mouse scroll ..
Nikiee says
It does work easily for upgrade from Windows 7 to 10, but does not work on a clean Windows 10 install.
Jacek says
This not work since build 10166 (10176). In “Set associations for the program” appear only .tif and .tiff.
Probably must be resolve throw registry entry. Have you any idea?