Answer
To comply with Microsoft's Windows 11 Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA) policies, which require the use of approved APIs and proper user consent dialogues, Foxit PDF Editor and Foxit PDF Reader (versions 13.2+/14.0+ perpetual and 2025.2+ subscription) no longer set themselves as the default PDF viewer during installation in Windows 11. Windows 11 users must now manually configure Foxit as their default PDF viewer through system settings.
How to Set Foxit as Default PDF Viewer in Windows 11
Manual Configuration Steps
1.Open Windows Settings:
Press Windows Key + I to access the Settings app.
2.Navigate to Default Apps:
Go to Apps > Default apps.
3.Set Foxit as Default for PDFs:
Search for "Foxit PDF Editor" or "Foxit PDF Reader."
Click the Foxit application in the search results.
Locate .pdf under file types.
Click the current default app listed for .pdf and select Foxit.
Click Set default to confirm.
Alternative Methods
Foxit provides shortcuts to open Windows Default Apps settings from its interface:
1.Help Menu:
Go to Help > Set to default PDF Reader.
2.File Menu:
Navigate to File > Preferences > Make default PDF Viewer.
Both options will redirect you to the Windows system settings to configure Foxit as the default PDF viewer.
Enterprise Deployment
For organizations managing multiple devices, administrators can configure Foxit as the default PDF viewer using Group Policy (GPO). This centralized approach ensures consistency across all devices in the network. For details, please refer to the following article:
How to set Foxit PDF Editor/Reader as Default App on Windows 11 with GPO
By following these steps, users can manually set Foxit as the default PDF viewer, ensuring compliance with Windows 11's application default management requirements.