Default Handler1.1.1

Default Handler lets you assign a chosen Mac application to open a particular URL scheme, directing matching links to the app you select. It is especially useful for changing the handler for the “vnc” scheme so Screens 5 opens VNC links instead of the application currently associated with them. The utility also supports other situations in which a sandboxed application needs a different default URL handler.

Apple’s runtime APIs for changing handlers are unavailable to sandboxed applications, while the handler setting inside an app bundle remains static during operation. Default Handler works outside those sandbox restrictions and can therefore use those APIs to apply the association at runtime. After creating a handler for “vnc” and selecting Screens 5, you can switch the scheme back to its original handler whenever necessary.

The program suits Mac users who need precise control over URL routing, particularly Screens 5 users and people working with other sandboxed apps affected by the same limitation. It belongs to the System Tools category and is distributed as freeware. Version 1.1.1,8 requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.