How to Set Your Default Email App
Do you have Gmail and the wrong app is opening when you click email links?
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
- Edge
Chrome
- Open Chrome and click the three-dots icon next to the URL address bar.
- Click Settings in the dropdown menu.
- Click "Content settings" Under "Privacy and security.
In the Settings tab that appears in your Chrome browser, scroll down to the bottom and click "Advanced." This will expand your settings options. In the first group that appears, "Privacy and security," click "Content settings" second from the bottom.
Content settings option inside the list of Advanced settings in Google's Chrome browser
3. Select "Handlers" and switch on the Ask protocol.
In the next group of options that appears, find the "Handlers" setting near the bottom of the list. It'll look like this:
Handlers setting in Google's Chrome browser
Click this setting and you'll see at least one horizontal switch where you can allow any website you visit to ask you if it can become Chrome's default "handler." Switch this setting to the on position, as shown below. (If it's already switched on, switch it off and on again -- this can prompt Gmail to re-ask you to become your default handler, if you've been asked before and want to change your answer.)
Blue switch allowing Gmail to ask to become default email handler in Chrome
4. Open Gmail in Chrome and click the Protocol Handler icon.
Once your Ask protocol has been switched on for default handlers, open Gmail in a new tab and make sure you're signed in.
5. Allow Gmail to open all email links.
At the end of your URL's address bar, you'll see a new icon that looks like two gray diamonds intertwined with each other. Click this icon and you'll see the following dropdown menu:
Blue Allow button for making Gmail default email client in Chrome browser
Click "Allow" in response to the question Chrome asks you, as shown above, and then hit Done. You'll officially have all "mailto:" links open in Gmail if they come from your Chrome browser.
Note: If you're still having trouble (for example, your "Protocol handlers" window appears blank with no options), try installing Google's Mailto Extension for Chrome instead.
How to Make Gmail Default Email in Firefox
Open the Firefox menu on the upper-righthand corner of your browser.
Select "Preferences" and scroll down to "Applications."
Find or search for "mailto" in the search bar.
Next to "mailto," open the dropdown menu and select "Use Gmail."
Firefox
1. Open the Firefox menu on the upper-righthand corner of your browser.
Launch Firefox and look to the upper-righthand corner of your browser for an icon consisting of three horizontal lines on top of one another. Click this icon and a dropdown menu of 11 different browser settings will appear.
Preferences icon in settings menu in Firefox browser
2. Select "Preferences" and scroll down to "Applications."
Select the "Preferences" icon from this dropdown menu, and you'll see a full page of settings filed under a "General" tab to the lefthand side. Staying on the General settings page, scroll down until you see the "Applications" section.
3. Find or search for "mailto" in the search bar.
Under the "Applications" settings of Firefox, you might see a list of previously used applications depending on how you've used Firefox. Look for the "mailto" application in the lefthand column (if you don't see it listed, search for it in the "Applications" search bar above the list).
Applications menu with mailto default email option in General settings of Firefox
4. Next to "mailto," open the dropdown menu and select "Use Gmail."
In the righthand column of the applications list, click on the "mailto" row and select "Use Gmail." This will set Gmail as your default email client for all mailto links that come from Firefox. No need to save your settings -- Firefox does this automatically.
Option to make Gmail the default email client in Firefox
Note: You also might see the option to "Use Chrome" if you also have the Chrome browser downloaded on your computer. If you see both Chrome and Gmail as default options, stick with Gmail. If not, verify that you're signed into Gmail and load these settings again. If all you see is the option to use Chrome, select this as your default email client.
Safari
How to Make Gmail Default Email in Safari
Open Safari and download Google's Mailto Extension.
Click the arrow at the top right of your Safari browser and select your downloaded file.
Click "Install" in the pop-up window.
Select Gmail from the list of options.
Restart your browser.
1. Open Safari and download Google's Mailto Extension.
Similar to Internet Explorer, you'll need a third-party plugin to make Gmail your default email client in Safari. To do so, download Google's Mailto Extension, available here.
2. Click the arrow at the top right of your Safari browser and select your downloaded file.
Once Google's Mailto Extension has been downloaded to Safari, find it using the downward-facing arrow on the top-right of your browser, next to your address bar.
Because this extension was downloaded from the internet, your Mac computer might ask you to trust this application, as shown below. Click "Trust" and the extension will start installing to your browser.
Warning screen by Mac computer asking to Trust file downloaded from the internet
3. Click "Install" in the pop-up window.
If after selecting "Trust" from Apple's file warning, the Mailto extension doesn't begin downloading, it might simply need your cue to do so. Below is another possible window that might appear after selecting your downloaded file from the "Downloads" list. Select "Install."
install-safari-extension
3. Select Gmail from the list of options.
Below is the simple list of options your new Mailto Extension will display to you in Safari. Check "Gmail" from this list and Safari will automatically save your new settings.
Options menu in Google's Mailto Extension with blue button to make Gmail default email client in Safari
4. Restart your browser.
Restart your Safari browser to officially make Gmail your default email client.