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Configuring a default editor in GitHub Desktop

You can configure GitHub Desktop to open files in your project with your preferred text editor or integrated development environment (IDE).

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Supported editors

GitHub Desktop supports the following editors. If you installed an editor while GitHub Desktop was open you will need to quit and reopen GitHub Desktop in order for the editor to be detected.

Configuring a default editor

  1. In the menu bar, select GitHub Desktop, then click Preferences.

    Screenshot of the menu bar on a Mac. Under the open "GitHub Desktop" dropdown menu, the cursor hovers over "Preferences", which is highlighted in blue.

  2. In the Preferences window, select Integrations.

    Screenshot of the "Preferences" window. In the left sidebar, the "Integrations" option is highlighted in blue and outlined in orange.

  3. Under "External Editor", use the dropdown menu to select the editor you want to set as your default.

  4. Click Save.

  1. Use the File menu, then click Options.

    Screenshot of the "GitHub Desktop" menu bar on Windows. In the expanded "File" dropdown menu, the "Options" item is highlighted with an orange outline.

  2. In the Options window, select Integrations.

    Screenshot of the "Options" window. In the left sidebar, the "Integrations" option is highlighted in blue and outlined in orange.

  3. Under "External Editor", use the dropdown menu to select the editor you want to set as your default.

  4. Click Save.

Opening a repository in the default editor

To open the current repository in the default editor, you can use the menu bar:

  1. In the menu bar, select Repository.
  2. Click Open in default editor

If you want to open another repository in the default editor, you can use the repository list.

  1. In the upper-left corner of GitHub Desktop, to the right of the current repository name, click .
  2. Right-click the repository, then click Open in default editor.

Tip: You can use the Shift+Command+A keyboard shortcut to open a repository in the default editor.

Tip: You can use the Ctrl+Shift+A keyboard shortcut to open a repository in the default editor.

Opening a file in the default editor

  1. Navigate to the "Changes" tab in the left sidebar.
  2. Double-click on the file, or right-click on the file and select Open in default editor.