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When I open files in Preview, I want them to always open in a new window, not as a document in the same window.

I've tried setting these preferences, which did not work:

  • Preview > Preferences > Images > Open each file in its own window.

  • System Preferences > Dock > Prefer tabs when opening documents > Manually

When I open a .png image with Preview, it reuses the last window instead of opening the image in a new window. I can right click > "Open in New Window", but that is annoying to do every time.

Preview Version 10.1 (944.6.16.1)
macOS Mojave 10.14.6

wisbucky
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  • Well, I am confused, I open many png one after another and each comes open in a new window - such that either I have to close all or quit. – Solar Mike Feb 05 '21 at 14:16
  • After selecting "open file in new window" did you restart Preview? – Natsfan Feb 05 '21 at 16:53
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    Same problem here. I have two user accounts, it works in one, but not in the other. I cannot find the setting to change that behaviour. Hugely annoying, espacially as the tab doesn't even get activated, so whenever I double click a file, I then have to search for it in Preview... – marc.guenther Jun 29 '22 at 08:37
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    Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't and no setting seems to really be consistent in working. – rjurney Aug 25 '22 at 01:15
  • I'm wondering if opening many windows forces Preview to open a new file in a tab. – Dean Oct 13 '22 at 02:43

2 Answers2

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OK, I have been fighting this problem for (literally) years. No matter what preferences I set, Preview insisted on opening new documents in a tab of a (random) window of an already-opened PDF. I finally decided to fix this, no matter how long it took. I created a “test” account, and determined that Preview would open PDFs in either tabs or windows, depending on the setting of the “Prefer tabs...” System Setting. I also determined that Preview would honor the state of AppleWindowTabbingMode using defaults write:

defaults write com.apple.Preview AppleWindowTabbingMode -string never

So, the behavior of Preview in the test account was correct.

But, copying the preferences from the test account to my main account did not change Preview’s behavior. In my main account, Preview ignored the state of AppleWindowTabbingMode. I finally decided to close every PDF that Preview had open, quit Preview, and then wipe every preference for Preview. These preferences are:

  /Users/[yourname]/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preview.plist
  /Users/[yourname]/Library/Containers/Preview

For the one in Containers, I threw the entire Preview folder away. When I re-launched Preview, it would now open PDFs in windows, and honor the settings in both System Settings -> Prefer tabs... and the defaults write AppleWindowTabbingMode preference.

I hope this helps someone else.

WHO'sNoToOldRx4Covid-CENSORED
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Robert Zusman
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  • Hmm... These files don't exist on my system, but I have the problem. – WHO'sNoToOldRx4Covid-CENSORED Apr 16 '23 at 04:18
  • Moving /Users/[yourname]/Library/Containers/Preview seems to have worked for me in Sonoma, although all of the documents I had opened in Preview were forgotten. Could it be that after a very large number of documents are open, Preview starts opening documents in tabs? – Jim L. Mar 16 '24 at 14:20
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I also want Preview to open each pdf in a new window.

Apple provides instructions for this here, customized (use to pull-down) for each of the last 6 major versions of macOS:

https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/display-several-files-in-one-preview-window-prvw1085/mac

They may work for you, but in my experience, they do not work!

For Ventura / macOS 13, they write,

Note: To open multiple PDFs in the same window, go to Apple menu > System Settings, then click Desktop & Dock . (You may need to scroll down.) Go to the Windows & Apps section, click the “Prefer tabs when opening documents” pop-up menu, then choose Always. See Change how folders open in the Finder on Mac.

Choosing "never" should cause Preview to open each pdf in a new window. Maybe it'll work for some. Not in my experience.

WHO'sNoToOldRx4Covid-CENSORED
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