Setting the Default Co-Editing App in the WebUI

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.

 

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:

1. In the Egnyte Web UI, go to Apps in the left navigation.
2. Find the preferred co-editing app (for example, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365).
3. Hover over the app tile, a star icon will appear.
4. 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.

 

Troubleshooting

Office files open in 'Microsoft 365 for the Web' from the Desktop App, and the co-editing preference is grayed out

This is expected behavior. It happens when the Admin has Allow users to override these defaults turned on and the user has set a web-based app (for example, Microsoft Excel for the Web) as their personal default in the Web UI. 

The personal default takes precedence over the Admin-configured Desktop App defaults, so files open in the browser and the Desktop App shows the preference as read-only. The dropdown cannot be used to change it.

User resolution

1. In the Web UI, open any Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file in Preview. Click the Edit dropdown and select the Microsoft desktop application.
   
2. When prompted, select Make it default app.
   

Files will now open in the desktop application and the Desktop App dropdown will reflect the change.

Admin resolution

1. If the user cannot change the setting themselves, go to Apps & Integrations -> App Control Center and turn off Allow users to override these defaults. 
         
2. Click on Yes, turn off to confirm.
   
3. This will reset the user’s preference to the Admin-configured defaults. Have the user restart the Desktop App, then turn the toggle back on if needed.