Set Gmail As Default Email — Windows 10

Open Microsoft Edge and go to Gmail. Step 2: Click the three dots (Settings and more) > Apps > Install this site as an app . Step 3: Name it "Gmail" and click Install . This creates a standalone window for Gmail. Step 4: Open Windows Settings ( Windows Key + I ) > Apps > Default Apps . Step 5: Click "Choose default apps by protocol" . Step 6: Find MAILTO . Change the default to Microsoft Edge .

Once configured, your workflow becomes seamless: Click an email address anywhere on the web → Gmail compose window pops up instantly. set gmail as default email windows 10

A pop-up will ask: "Allow Gmail to open all email links?" Step 5: Click Allow . Open Microsoft Edge and go to Gmail

Let’s face it: clicking a "mailto" link on a website (like "Contact Us" or "Share this article") only to watch Windows 10 launch the clunky pre-installed Mail app is frustrating. If you live inside Gmail, you want those links to open a new compose window in Chrome or Edge—not a separate desktop app. This creates a standalone window for Gmail

While Windows 10 doesn’t allow you to set a website (like Gmail.com) as a default mail client directly, you can easily trick the system into doing it. Here is the step-by-step guide to make Gmail your default handler for email links. Windows 10 is designed to pair email links with installed desktop apps (Outlook, Thunderbird, Windows Mail). Gmail is a web app. So, if you simply go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps , you won't see "Google Chrome" listed under Email.

To fix this, you need to use a specific Chrome feature or a Microsoft Edge trick. Google Chrome has a built-in feature called "Protocol Handlers" that forces Windows to route email links to Gmail.