How to Set Gmail as Default Email Client on Windows 11?

On Windows 11, it is pretty easy to set your favorite apps as defaults, and if you have been using them for a while, you know just how easy it is to put them as defaults. If you have been using the operating system for a time, you probably know that setting the ruins can be easily changed. If you want to use Gmail as your default email program in Windows 11, you can do so. To access all email links in Gmail, you must use Google Chrome, as Google does not offer a desktop client for Gmail.

So, if you want to make Gmail your default Windows 11 email client, you are reading the right guide. In this risewindows article, we will share a step-by-step guide on setting Gmail as the default email client on Windows 11.

Set Gmail as the Default Email Client using Chrome on Windows 11.

Here, you must go through several steps to set the default email client on Windows 11. Follow the steps below to set Gmail to open in Chrome as the default app for email links.

How to Allow Sites to Prompt to Become Default Handlers in Chrome?

Firstly, you need to set a Chrome application to allow sites to become default handlers for protocols if not already enabled.

Step 1. For so, open the Chrome browser and then click on the triple dotted icon at the top right corner of Chrome’s window. From the drop-down menu select Settings.

Step 2. Now, scroll down to the Privacy and Security section on the settings page.

Step 3. Then click the Site Settings.

Step 4. After that, on the Site Settings page, under Permissions, click the Additional permissions to expand it.

Step 5. Next, click on Protocol handlers to see its options.

Step 6. Then, select the “Sites can ask to handle protocols” radio button.

How to Allow mail.google.com to Open Email Links in Chrome?

You have allowed sites to ask to handle protocols; you need to set mail.google.com to open all email links in Chrome. For that, do the following steps:-

Step 1. Firstly, sign in to your Gmail account by navigating to mail.google.com.

Step 2. Then, you will see a handler icon on the address bar. Click it and then select Allow to give access to mail.google.com to open all email links. Lastly, click Done.

If you don’t find the handler icon in the address bar or it disappears after a while, open a new tab in the Google Chrome browser and then type chrome://settings/handlers in the address bar. Then, hit Enter from the keyboard.

So, click three dots beside the mail.google.com and select the Remove option.

After that, refresh the mail.google.com tab to see the handler icon again. Then repeat steps 1 and 2 to allow mail.google.com to open email links in Chrome.

How to Set Chrome as Default App to Open Email Links on Windows 11?

When you complete the above step, you need to set Chrome as the default app to open email-related links. Do the following:-

Step 1. First, open the Settings app by pressing Windows + [/keybt]I[/keybt] keys from the keyboard.

Step 2. When Windows Settings opens, select the Apps category from the left sidebar.

Step 3. Then, on the right sidebar, click the option Default apps.

Step 4. Next, Windows 11 does not allow you to set the default app for each file type or link type at once. That means you have to select each file type one by one. The most common email link on the websites is the “mailto” link. So, to set the default app for the mailto link type to Chrome, search for “mailto” in the search box under “Set a default for a file type or link type.” Then, click Mail on the search results.

Step 5. After that, in the pop-up window, “How do you want to open this,” select Google Chrome and click OK.

Whenever you click on an email link, the mail address will open in Gmail on the Chrome browser. You complete it. That’s it!

Similarly, you set Gmail to open for other email-related file and link types, such as:-

• MAILTO
• .eml
• MS-UNISTORE-EMAIL
• OUTLOOK MAIL

That’s it for the article.

I hope this post will be informative to you.

Good luck & stay healthy, friends.