Preferrelatedapplications

Preferrelatedapplications is a term used to describe a preference or policy setting that influences how software selects or suggests applications to handle a given action, such as opening a file, responding to a URL, or processing data. In systems that implement this concept, the setting aims to prioritize “related” applications—those that are known to handle similar content or that have a history of working with the specific data type—when presenting options to the user.

The key typically functions as a boolean or a simple priority indicator. When enabled, the launcher or framework may rank related apps higher in open-with dialogs, share sheets, or intent resolution, often favoring applications that have previously been used for the same content or that declare support for related formats. When disabled, the system may treat related applications as neutral and offer a broader, more varied set of candidates. If the key is absent or unsupported on a given platform, default behavior usually applies, which may be to present all capable applications without preferential ordering.

Where and how preferrelatedapplications appears varies by platform. It can appear in system-wide launch services, in application manifests, as a user-default or registry entry, or as part of an API parameter used by inter-application communication frameworks. Because implementation details differ, the exact effect of the setting can vary between operating systems, versions, and applications.

Limitations include inconsistent support across platforms, potential privacy or user-experience concerns if the policy relies on tracking past actions, and possible confusion if users expect a different handling of content. Understanding platform-specific documentation is important for accurate behavior.

See also: open-with behavior, application preferences, inter-application communication.