Setting up a Default Email Client

By default your computer will typically open mail to links / email addresses with it's built-in email client. This article describes how to change that to use your preferred client.

This Article Covers:

Set your default email client on a Windows computer

  1. Open your Start Menu and search for "Default apps". Open the System settings search result for it.
    Search for "Default apps" in the Start Menu.

  2. Click on the icon underneath the "Email" heading. It will usually be set to the Mail app.
    Change your mail client from the default apps window.

  3. Select your preferred web browser that you normally access Gmail from.

    1. Alternatively, if you are using Outlook select that instead.

  4. Now that your web browser is set as the default application you need to configure it to handle mailto links. See the sections below for specific instructions.

Set your default email client on a MacOS computer

  1. Open the "Mail" app from your dock or from Launchpad.
    Mail app

  2. Click on the "Mail" dropdown menu in the top-left, then choose "Settings".
    Open mail settings

  3. Click the dropdown menu to the right of "Default email reader" and choose the "Select" option.
    Mail settings general tab

  4. You will see a list of applications installed on your Mac. Choose your preferred web browser and click Select. You can now close the Mail app.
    List of apps

  5. Now that your web browser is set as the default application you need to configure it to handle mailto links. See the sections below for specific instructions.

Configure your web browser to handle email links

Google Chrome & Microsoft Edge

  1. Log into gmail.com.

  2. On the right side of the address bar click on the icon of two overlapping diamonds (See below for alternate instructions if you don't see the diamonds).
    Gmail mail handler icon on the right side of the address bar

  3. Select the "Allow" option then click Done.
    Allow the Gmail handler

  4. When you click on a mailto link Gmail will now open in Chrome.

If you don't see the diamond icon in Gmail:

  1. Click on the 3 dots in the top-right of the Chrome window, then choose "Settings".
    Chrome settings menu.

  2. Click on the "Privacy and security" tab on the left. Then click on the "Site settings" option.

  3. Under the Permissions section click on "Additional permissions" to expand that section. Then choose the "Protocol handlers" option.
    Additional permissions menu

  4. Under the Default behavior section make sure "Sites can ask to handle protocols" is selected.

    1. If you needed to change the default behavior setting: go back to Gmail and reload your inbox. You should now see the double diamond icon.

    2. If you see mail.google.com under the list of protocols: click on the 3 dots to the right of it then click "Set as default".
      Protocol handler menu

Firefox

  1. In Firefox, click on the hamburger menu (3 horizontal lines) in the top-right of the window, then choose "Settings".
    Firefox settings

  2. In the settings menu scroll down until you see the "Applications" section. Currently this is below the Download settings.
    Firefox application settings

  3. Click on the dropdown menu on the right side of the "mailto" row. By default it will say "Use Mail".

  4. From the dropdown menu select "Use Gmail".
    Set the mailto row to Gmail

  5. Firefox will now open mailto links with Gmail.

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