Salesforce: Default Picklist Value

When user creates a new record in Salesforce, such as Contact, we can set the default value on a picklist field, for example: Active default to True.

Step by Step:

1. Navigate to Setup | Customize | Contacts | Fields
2. Look for the picklist and click it
3. Click the Edit link for the field needs to be set as default
4. Select "Make this value the default for the master picklist", if any other value selected as default prior, it will be auto deselect.
5. Click Save button

Recently we have a case, a group of users have the default value, and they do not want that value selected by default. Okay, that is easy, just follow the above steps to deselect the default value. But, there is no default selected value for that picklist field, confuse...?

Finally, we found there is Record Type for that object, those User Profiles only have access to one of the Record Type, that's why when user create new Contact, it does not prompt them to select a record type.

Click Edit link

Conclusion:
If the Object has Record Type, Salesforce will use the default value defined in Record Type, not the default value selected in the object level.

Reference: 

• Picklist Default Value
• Editing Picklists for Record Types and Business Processes