diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
@@ -99,10 +99,14 @@
     Q_ASSERT(model);
 
     const KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "PreviewSettings");
-    m_enabledPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList()
-                                                         << QStringLiteral("directorythumbnail")
-                                                         << QStringLiteral("imagethumbnail")
-                                                         << QStringLiteral("jpegthumbnail"));
+#if KIO_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(5, 40, 0)
+    m_enabledPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins());
+#else
+    // We don't have KF5.40 yet; emulate the behavior of KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins()
+    QStringList defaultPlugins = KIO::PreviewJob::availablePlugins();
+    defaultPlugins.removeAll(QStringLiteral("textthumbnail"));
+    m_enabledPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", defaultPlugins);
+#endif
 
     connect(m_model, &KFileItemModel::itemsInserted,
             this,    &KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::slotItemsInserted);
diff --git a/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg b/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg
--- a/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg
+++ b/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
         <entry name="PreviewsShown" type="Bool" >
             <label context="@label">Previews shown</label>
             <whatsthis context="@info:whatsthis">When this option is enabled, a preview of the file content is shown as an icon.</whatsthis>
-            <default>false</default>
+            <default>true</default>
         </entry>
 
         <entry name="GroupedSorting" type="Bool" >
diff --git a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
--- a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "dolphin_generalsettings.h"
 #include "configurepreviewplugindialog.h"
 
+#include <KIO/PreviewJob>
 #include <KConfigGroup>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 #include <KServiceTypeTrader>
@@ -173,11 +174,14 @@
 void PreviewsSettingsPage::loadSettings()
 {
     KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "PreviewSettings");
-    m_enabledPreviewPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList()
-                                                     << QStringLiteral("directorythumbnail")
-                                                     << QStringLiteral("imagethumbnail")
-                                                     << QStringLiteral("jpegthumbnail"));
-
+#if KIO_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(5, 40, 0)
+    m_enabledPreviewPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins());
+#else
+    // We don't have KF5.40 yet; emulate the behavior of KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins()
+    QStringList defaultPlugins = KIO::PreviewJob::availablePlugins();
+    defaultPlugins.removeAll(QStringLiteral("textthumbnail"));
+    m_enabledPreviewPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", defaultPlugins);
+#endif
     const qulonglong defaultRemotePreview = static_cast<qulonglong>(MaxRemotePreviewSize) * 1024 * 1024;
     const qulonglong maxRemoteByteSize = globalConfig.readEntry("MaximumRemoteSize", defaultRemotePreview);
     const int maxRemoteMByteSize = maxRemoteByteSize / (1024 * 1024);
diff --git a/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp b/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp
--- a/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp
+++ b/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.h>
 #include <kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.h>
 
+#include <KIO/PreviewJob>
 
 #include <views/viewmodecontroller.h>
 
@@ -94,10 +95,14 @@
     updateGridSize();
 
     const KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "PreviewSettings");
-    const QStringList plugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList()
-                                                       << QStringLiteral("directorythumbnail")
-                                                       << QStringLiteral("imagethumbnail")
-                                                       << QStringLiteral("jpegthumbnail"));
+#if KIO_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(5, 40, 0)
+    const QStringList plugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins());
+#else
+    // We don't have KF5.40 yet; emulate the behavior of KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins()
+    QStringList defaultPlugins = KIO::PreviewJob::availablePlugins();
+    defaultPlugins.removeAll(QStringLiteral("textthumbnail"));
+    const QStringList plugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", defaultPlugins);
+#endif
     setEnabledPlugins(plugins);
 
     endTransaction();