How do I change the default app for audio on my Android phone?

Android phones come with a default audio or music player app pre-installed, such as Google Play Music or YouTube Music. While these apps work fine, you may want more functionality, features, or a different interface than what your phone provider installs by default.

Changing your phone’s default audio app allows you to set a different player as the one that opens automatically when you plug in headphones, connect to your car’s Bluetooth, or tell Google Assistant to play music. Benefits of switching the default include being able to access your preferred music streaming service or audio player more conveniently.

This guide will walk through the steps to change your Android phone’s default audio app to one you like better or find more fully-featured. We’ll cover how to change defaults both in your phone’s main Settings menu and directly within the details of individual apps.

Determine Your Current Default App for Audio Player

One of the first things you’ll want to do when changing your default audio player or music app on an Android phone is determine what that current default is. There are several ways you can check which app is currently set as the default for audio or music playback.

According to Google’s support page How can i set an app as the default music service on my …:

Touch and hold the Home button on your device, or say “OK Google”

In the bottom right, tap Explore & Your stuff and then More settings
Scroll down and tap on Services and choose Music
Here you will see what app is currently set as the default music player

So checking through the Google Assistant or Google app is one way to quickly determine your device’s current default audio player. You can also check in your main device settings as outlined in the next section below.

Change Default App in Settings

You can change the default audio app in your Android device’s settings menu. Follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your Android device.

Navigate to Apps > Default Apps. You may need to select “Advanced” or “More” to find the Default Apps section. ¹
Under “Media”, tap Music player.
A list of installed media players will appear. Select the app you want to set as the default player.

Confirm your selection. The app you selected will now launch automatically when you request music playback.

These steps will associate your chosen app with links and commands involving music or audio playback. However, if another app is already set as the default you may need to clear the defaults first before designating a new default audio player.

Change Default via App Info

Another way to set a new default audio app on your Android device is by going through the App Info page of the app you want to set as the default. Here are the steps:

Open the Settings app on your device.
Tap “Apps” or “Apps & notifications.”
Tap “See all apps.”

Tap on the app you want to set as the default audio player (for example, Spotify).
Tap “Set as default” and then tap “Clear defaults.”

This will clear any existing default audio app setting and allow you to set your chosen app as the new default the next time you open an audio file. The next time you play audio on your device, it should launch your newly selected default app.

One thing to note with this method is that it will only change the default for certain audio file types that the app supports. So you may need to use a combination of this method and the main Settings method to fully configure your default audio app.

Use a Third-Party App

Using a third-party app manager provides an easy way to change your phone’s default apps. Popular options include:

Smart App Manager – Provides an interface to manage installed apps and change defaults.

Default App Manager Lite – Allows you to manage default apps for actions like opening web links, playing media files, etc. (source)

These app managers provide additional functionality beyond what your phone natively offers for changing default apps. They allow you to easily view, select, and change defaults in one centralized interface.

Using a dedicated app for default management can save you time versus changing defaults individually through the Android settings or app info pages. They also provide options like app backups and uninstalling that simplify app management.

Clear App Defaults

If you don’t want any app to be set as the default audio player, you can clear all the default settings in the Apps section of your Android phone’s Settings:

Open the Settings app and tap “Apps”.
Tap the “Defaults” or “Reset app preferences” option at the bottom.

In the resulting prompt, tap “Reset apps” to confirm.

This will clear all default app selections for supported actions like opening web links, playing media, etc. When you next try to play a song or other audio file, you’ll be asked to select which app to use. [1]

Troubleshooting Issues

If you change the default audio app but notice it does not stick, here are some troubleshooting steps:

Clear the cache and data for both the old default app and the new app you want to set as default:

Go to Settings > Apps
Select the app

Tap Storage
Tap Clear Cache and Clear Data

After clearing cache and data, try resetting the default again. This often fixes issues with the default not sticking properly after it’s been changed.

Additionally, if you have disabled permissions required for setting defaults, this can cause issues. Make sure the new default app you selected has permissions enabled for Storage, Phone, Contacts etc. Granting the needed permissions can resolve default sticking issues in some cases.

As per this Google support page, using the Google Assistant can also help troubleshoot setting default apps.

Finally, if you continue experiencing problems with changing the default audio player app, you can try fully uninstalling the old default app. This forces the selection of a new default and can fix persisting issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Users often have some common questions when changing default apps on Android. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

Why do I need to change my default apps?

You may want to change your default apps if you prefer using a different app over the default one that came with your device. For example, you may prefer using Spotify over the built-in music player. Changing the default allows your preferred app to open automatically when tapping on music links.

Will changing defaults impact other apps?

Changing default apps only impacts which app is chosen to handle certain actions. Other apps will still function normally. For example, setting Spotify as your default music player allows Spotify links to open there while leaving other music apps unaffected.

Can I revert back to the original defaults?

Yes, you can revert back to your device’s original default apps at any time. Just repeat the process but select the built-in apps again instead of your preferred ones. You can switch between defaults as often as you like.

Will I lose app data if I clear defaults?

Clearing app defaults will not cause you to lose any app data. Your apps and their data will remain untouched. Clearing defaults simply resets your device to ask you each time which app to use for certain actions.

Summary

To recap, there are a few key steps to changing the default audio app on your Android phone:

Open your device’s Settings app and select Apps or Application Manager
In the Options or Menu, select ‘Default apps’ or ‘App info’
Tap on the Audio player & audio section and select a new default app
(Source: https://www.androidauthority.com/change-default-apps-android-2-633572/)

Alternatively, tap the “See all XXX apps” button to get to App Info for your desired audio app and select “Open by default”
You may also be able to reset app preferences in the Default Apps or App Info screens to clear defaults

These steps should allow you to successfully change the default audio player app on your Android device.

Conclusion

Changing your default audio app on your Android phone allows you to open supported audio files automatically in your preferred app. By adjusting these settings in your phone’s Settings menu or individual app info, you can set your desired player to handle things like music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

A few key tips to remember:

Check Settings > Apps > Default apps to change system-wide defaults.
Go to an app’s info screen to clear or change defaults just for that app.

Be aware that clearing all defaults will reset apps to ask you each time.
Some third party apps like Better Open With can manage defaults as well.

With these steps, you should now be able to successfully control which apps open to play audio files on your Android phone. Choose your favorite music player, podcast app, or audiobook reader to handle your media the way you want.