Change the Default Email Client on Mac OS X

You can change your default email reader on Mac via Apple Mail or change your "Mailto" client with a browser extension. These adjustments will make it possible for third-party email clients (e.g. Gmail, Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, Yahoo Mail) to automatically open your received emails and to send email whenever you click a "mailto" link online. Chrome users will have a particularly easy time making Gmail their default "Mailto" client!

Steps

Changing Your Default "Mailto" Client to Gmail in Chrome

  1. Open the Google Chrome browser. You'll find this in your applications folder.
  2. Sign into your Gmail account.[1]
  3. Click the "Handler" icon. This will look like two overlapping, silver diamonds, and it's located in your address bar just to the left of your "Favorites" star. You will see a small menu pop up asking, "Allow mail.google.com to open all email links?"
  4. Check the "Allow" circle. Gmail will become your default "Mailto" client when using your Chrome browser.
  5. Use "Mailto" links to go straight to Gmail. Clicking “Mailto” links will automatically open an email draft with Gmail when using Chrome.
    • To change the client that receives emails, you'll have to change your email reader from Change-the-Default-Email-Client-on-Mac-OS-X.

Safari - Using an Extension

  1. Open your browser. You'll likely find this in your Dock or via Launchpad. Alternatively, you may open "Finder" and then select "Applications." Safari will be listed there as well.
  2. Download the "Google Mailto Extension." You can download the extension at Mailto Extension Download.[2] After clicking the link the file will go to your Safari downloads.
    • Since the extension is not officially support by Apple, you won't find the Mailto Extension in Safari's extension gallery.
    • A similar extension will also work for Chrome or Firefox.
  3. Click Safari's "Show Downloads" icon (represented by a downward pointing arrow). It's located in the upper, righthand side of your window and will open a list of your downloaded files.
  4. Double-click the "Mailto" installation file from the list. This will launch the extension’s installer.
  5. Click "Install" once prompted. The Google Mailto Extension will install to your Safari browser.
  6. Select your preferred "Mailto" client. After installing the "Mailto" extension, a new "Options" tab will automatically appear. Select your preferred "Mailto" client from the list of email services provided (Fastmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, etc.).
  7. Quit and reopen Safari to allow your changes to take effect.
  8. Use "Mailto" links to go straight to your preferred email client. Clicking “Mailto” links will automatically open an email draft with your selected email client when using Safari.
    • To change the client that receives emails, you'll have to change your email reader from Change-the-Default-Email-Client-on-Mac-OS-X.

Changing Your Default "Mailto" Client in Firefox

  1. Click the menu button (≡) and select “Preferences”. The menu button is located at the upper, righthand corner of your screen.[3]
  2. Click "Applications." This is the fourth tab down the lefthand column of the "Preferences" screen.
  3. Click "mailto." You'll find this listed under the "Content Type" column.
    • You can perform a query for "mailto" in the search bar or simply scroll down the column in order to find it.
  4. Change the default mailto client. To the right of “mailto” you should see your current default mailto client and a triangle indicating a drop down menu. Click the triangle and select your new default. You'll have the options to "Use Gmail," "Use Yahoo! Mail," or "Use other..."
    • The "Use other..." option allows you to pick an external program for Firefox to launch
    • The "Application details..." option allows you to review information about the webmail services available on Firefox. You can also use this to remove certain webmail services.
  5. Exit the "Preferences" menu. Your changes will be saved automatically.
  6. Use "Mailto" links to go straight to your preferred email client. Clicking “Mailto” links will automatically open an email draft with your selected email client when using Firefox.
    • To change the client that receives emails, you'll have to change your email reader from Change-the-Default-Email-Client-on-Mac-OS-X.

Changing Your Default Email Reader

  1. Launch Apple Mail. You'll likely find Mail located in your Dock and designated by a "stamp" icon.
    • These steps only adjust the email client that opens received emails. If you wish to change the email client that sends messages when you click a "Mailto" link online, those methods are detailed separately.
  2. Open the "Mail" menu and select "Preferences". The “Mail” menu is located in the top menu bar of your screen.
  3. Select the "General" tab. This is the first tab on the left on the "Preferences" screen.[4]
  4. Select an email program from the “Default Email Reader” menu. Here you can select alternate email software like Thunderbird or Outlook.
    • If that client isn't readily visible, choose "Select" and browse through Finder to select a client from there.
  5. Close the "Preferences" window. Your changes will automatically be saved.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-change-the-default-email-program-for-mailto-links/
  2. ↑ https://github.com/famlam/mailto-chromeextension
  3. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-program-used-open-email-links
  4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201607
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