How do I set SharePoint to ‘Open in App’ by default?

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Open options

You can work with files stored in SharePoint using Office for the web or the native Office 365 applications.

Left-clicking on a document in a SharePoint library will open it using Office for the web by default.

Right click on an office document then choose Open to reveal the options:

• Open in browser (Default) – Opens the file using Office for the web
• Open in app – Opens the file using the desktop Office 365 apps
• Open in Immersive Reader – Opens the document using Immersive Reader

Open in desktop app by default

By default, left-clicking on the title of a document from within a document library will open it in the web browser using Office for the web. You can change this behaviour to ‘Open in app’ for the entire site by following the steps outlined below.

1. Navigate to your SharePoint site then select the Gear icon > Site information

2. Within site information, select View all site settings

3. Under the Site Collection Administration section, select Site collection features (Ensure you do not select Manage site features by mistake)

4. Click Activate next to Open Documents in Client Applications by Default

Revert back to default settings

To disable this option and revert back to the default behaviour you will first need to navigate back to the Site collection settings by following the steps above. Once you have reached the settings, find ‘Open Documents in Client Applications by Default’ on the list and select the Deactivate button.