When you open a file on your phone For the first time, your phone will ask you to choose a default app to view that type of file. You will see two options: always and only once. Tap the last one to open the file in the selected app only once, then Android OS will ask you to choose again.
If you choose Always, you will not be asked again. When you are familiar with the app and want it to be your default app, tapping Always is helpful. But sometimes we accidentally tap Always, which results in opening the file in the wrong app. What happens if the application no longer supports these files or keeps crashing?
The same thing happened to a friend of mine a few days ago with PDFs. Instead of launching in your favorite PDF viewer app, PDF files now open in a different app. Even worse, some files would not open.
What do we do in such situations? The solution is simple. You just need to change the default PDF viewer on your phone. That is how.
View PDF files in different PDF viewer apps
To change the default PDF viewer, you must first identify the application that hijacked your PDF files. Then you need to remove it as the default PDF viewing app. Doing so will again prompt you to choose a default app.
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Here are the steps in detail.
1. Find the culprit app
To do this, open any PDF file. Once launched into the new PDF viewer, press the recent apps key on your phone to see all open apps. Note the name of the application that opens your PDF file.
2. Clear default values
Now that you know the culprit app, it’s time to reduce its powers to PDF. There are two ways to do this.
Clear recent app defaults
: Open the recent apps screen. Then, long-press the app icon that launches your PDF files. Tap the App Info option.
2nd step: You will access the application information screen. Tap Advanced followed by Open by default.
Step 3: Press Clear Defaults.
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Clear parameter default values
If you don’t see the App Info button, here’s another way to edit the PDF app.
Step 1: Go to Settings on your phone and tap Apps & notifications/Installed apps/Application manager depending on the option available on your phone.
2nd step– Tap the app that opens your PDF file.
Step 3: Tap Clear Defaults if available on your phone. But if the option is missing, tap Open Defaults followed by Clear Defaults.
3. Set the new default PDF viewer
After clearing the defaults of the new PDF reader, you will be prompted to set a default application when opening a PDF file. Select the app and tap Always.
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How to change the default PDF viewer in WhatsApp
uses your phone’s default PDF reader to open PDF files. So follow the above methods to change your phone’s default PDF viewer and you will also switch to WhatsApp.
Problem 1: Cannot identify the application
Some phones only show the app icon and not the name on the recent apps screen. To find the name, touch and hold the app icon on the recent apps screen. The name will be revealed. If the name is not yet visible, you need to identify the app by the icon and follow the steps mentioned above.
If you still can’t identify the app by the icon, don’t worry. It is possible that one of your recently downloaded applications is causing the problem. Usually, browsers like UC Browser get downloaded accidentally by clicking on ads. These browsers come with built-in PDF viewer features and applications. These apps are responsible for supporting the default PDF viewer app.
So please check your phone if you have recently downloaded this app. Then clear their default values as mentioned in the above method.
Problem 2: Delete patterns does not work
Sometimes clearing the defaults also does not reset the default PDF preferences. This usually happens with Drive PDF Viewer. If this happens, you will need to disable or uninstall your from PDF. After that, open any PDF file and you will be asked to choose a PDF reader. Select the app of your choice from the available list. Then activate or reinstall the app.
To disable or uninstall an app, go to Settings > Apps & notifications/Installed apps. Tap the app you want to disable/uninstall. Then tap on the Disable or Uninstall button.
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The best PDF viewers for Android
Now that we are talking about PDF viewers, the post will be incomplete if we do not suggest some good ones.
Here are three apps I love:
1. Adobe Acrobat Reader
You must be familiar with Adobe Reader on your PCs. It is the most popular PDF app that offers additional features like annotation, collaboration, filling PDF forms, printing app documents, and more. The application is free without any advertising.
2. Xodo PDF Reader and Editor
Another ad-free app is the Xodo PDF reader. It offers similar features to Adobe Reader with night mode. You can also create PDF files from your images using this app.
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3. Moon+ Player
With Moon+ Reader, you can also read other types of documents, including books in EPUB, MOBI, etc. The app offers multiple themes, double page mode and auto scroll mode tones among a dozen other features.
Change other default apps
This is how you toggle the PDF reader on your Android phone. You can use the same methods to change other default apps. For browser, launcher, phone and , Android phones come with a dedicated setting to change the default app. Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps. Hopefully Google will also add a dedicated setting for PDF files.
Next : You may have heard of resetting app preferences to fix Android problems. What it is and how it is useful. Find the answer then.
If you want to know other articles similar to How to change the default PDF viewer on Android you can visit the category.
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