Change Default Email App on Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari

Why change the Default Email App?

If you have installed and configured multiple email client applications (Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.) in your system, you can configure the default email application to open emails and compose new emails. The default email application handles mailto protocol (used in email links) in the web pages, documents, etc. Conceptually, this is like configuring the default browser for opening website URLs on your device. Besides desktop email clients, web-based email applications such as Gmail, Microsoft Office365 Outlook, etc. can also be configured as your default email application.

Steps to configure the Default Email application in the system

Change the Default Email app on Mac

1. Open Mail app
2. Go to Preferences >> General
3. Select the email client from the dropdown in the Default email reader field.

Change the Default Email app on Windows

1. Open Settings >> Apps
2. Go to the Default apps menu
3. Select the email client from the Email section

Change the Default Email app on Linux (Ubuntu)

1. Open System Settings >> Details
2. Go to the Default Applications menu
3. Select the email client from the dropdown in the Email field.

Steps to configure Default Email application in the Browser

Change the Default Email app in Google Chrome

1. Go to Settings >> Site Settings >> Permissions
2. Expand Additional permissions >> Protocol handlers
3. Under the email protocol section, set the default option
4. Ensure the option Sites can ask to handle protocols is selected. This will allow websites to register various protocol handlers.

Change the Default Email app in Mozilla Firefox

1. Go to Settings >> General
2. Navigate to Files and Applications >> Applications section
3. From the table, select mailto or search for mailto
4. For mailto application, select your preferred email application from the action dropdown

Change the Default Email app in Apple Safari

1. Safari does not have a specific setting for the default email application
2. Use the steps mentioned above for Mac and use the Mail app to set your preference