WIll Changing SharePoint Default to "Open in App" Impact all SharePoint Users or Just the Individual?

Question

Several coworkers and I have a Teams channel, but we typically access the documentation stored in the channel via the SharePoint site that Teams creates on the backend. Some in the group love using the web version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. but I STRONGLY prefer using the desktop apps. So, with that said, if I change the default on the SharePoint site (not in Teams) so files open in the desktop app by default, will this change impact all users or just myself? In other words, is there a way to change my personal default settings or are settings at the SharePoint group level?

Answer 1

Hi David,

Thanks for posting in the community. We are happy to help you.

Regarding your query, this change will impact all users. To my knowledge, there is no such built-in feature/method that can only affect specific users in SharePoint, however, as it also is a team for Microsoft Teams, you can achieve your needs in the Teams client. The "File open preference" in the Teams client only affects individuals.

1. In the Teams client, click the three points beside your avatar, Settings.
2. click the "Files and links" tab, under "File open preference", choose "Desktop app". After that, when you click the file in Teams, it will automatically open the file in the Office desktop app by default. The "File open preference" in the Teams client only affects individuals.

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If you don't see the option "Desktop app", please note that it requires some prerequisite points, such as the option "Desktop app" in "File open preference" is only available for Office 365 E3 or E5 subscribers. For more details, please view this article.

Appreciate your understanding and patience.

Sincerely,

George | Microsoft Community Moderator