Overview
Egnyte allows users to set a personal default co-editing app so that Microsoft 365 files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) open in their preferred editor automatically (Microsoft Desktop, Microsoft on the Web, Google Editors) — without being prompted every time.
The default co-editing app can be set in two ways:
- On-the-fly when opening a file
- Directly from the Egnyte Apps and Integrations page (App Store)
Users’ personal preference overrides any domain-wide default their Admin has configured.
Admins can choose whether to allow users to override domain defaults. See Admin Controls below.
Setting Default App When Opening a File
When a Microsoft 365 file is opened in the WebUI using the context menu (right-click → Open With) or the Edit button, and a co-editing app other than the current default is chosen, Egnyte prompts the user to choose from:
- Just once: Opens the file in that app this time only; the default stays the same
- Make it default app: Updates the personal default to this app going forward
Users can also check Don't ask again to suppress this prompt in the future.
Setting Default App from the Apps and Integrations page (App Store)
Users can also set or change their default at any time directly from the App Store:
- In the Egnyte Web UI, go to Apps in the left navigation.
- Find the preferred co-editing app (for example, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365).
- Hover over the app tile, a star icon will appear.
- Click the star to mark it as the default app for editing.
The default app is now set. Files will open in that app automatically going forward.
Admin Controls
Admins can control whether end users are allowed to set their own co-editing defaults, from Settings → App Control Center:
- Allow users to override these defaults: Toggle on to give users personal default controls; toggle off to enforce domain-wide defaults for everyone
- Admins can also set per-file-type defaults (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for the Egnyte Desktop App, independently of Web UI settings
When the override toggle is off, users will not see the option to set a personal default and will always follow the Admin-configured behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a user have different defaults for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint?
Currently, the Web UI default applies across all Microsoft file types. Per-file-type defaults are available in the Egnyte Desktop App and are managed by the Admin.
Will the default carry over from the Desktop App to the Web UI?
No. Web UI and Desktop App defaults are managed separately.