How to Put a Gmail Icon on Your Desktop in Windows 11

To put a Gmail icon on your Windows 11 desktop, right-click the desktop, select New > Shortcut, enter https://mail.google.com, select Next, name it Gmail, and select Finish. If you want the red Gmail logo, or want Gmail to open in its own window like an app, use the Chrome or Edge steps below instead.

Google doesn’t make a Gmail app for Windows, so each option below is a shortcut to Gmail on the web. Pick the one that fits how you like to work.

Method 1: Create a Gmail Shortcut on the Desktop

This works with any browser. The shortcut opens Gmail in your default browser.

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
2. Select New, then Shortcut.
3. Type https://mail.google.com in the location box.

4. Select Next.
5. Type Gmail as the name, then select Finish.

The shortcut shows your browser’s icon rather than the Gmail logo. If you want the Gmail logo, use Method 2 or 3.

If you later want the icon to open a different page or program, you can change what a desktop shortcut opens in its Properties window.

An even quicker way: with Gmail open, make the browser window smaller so you can see the desktop, then drag the site icon at the left end of the address bar onto the desktop. For more on web shortcuts, read making a desktop shortcut for a website.

Method 2: Create a Gmail Shortcut in Chrome

This gives you the Gmail logo, and Gmail opens in a normal Chrome tab. Email links you click in Chrome can open there too, once you set Gmail as the default email in Chrome.

1. Open Chrome and go to mail.google.com. Sign in if you need to.
2. Select the three-dot More menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Cast, save, and share, then Create shortcut.

4. Keep the name Gmail or type a new one, then select Create.

Chrome adds the shortcut to your desktop and Start menu. These steps come from Google’s help page on creating shortcuts for websites in Chrome.

Method 3: Install Gmail as an App in Chrome

This opens Gmail in its own window, without tabs or an address bar, so it feels like a separate app.

1. Open Chrome and go to mail.google.com.
2. Select the three-dot More menu.
3. Select Cast, save, and share, then Install page as app.
4. Select Install.

Gmail gets its own Start menu entry. If an icon doesn’t appear on your desktop, open Start, select All, and drag Gmail onto the desktop. You can also type chrome://apps in the address bar, right-click Gmail, and select Create shortcuts. Google’s Chrome help page on web apps explains how to install and uninstall them.

Method 4: Install Gmail as an App in Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge and go to mail.google.com.
2. Select the three-dot Settings and more menu.
3. Select Apps, then Install this site as an app.

4. Select Install.
5. If Edge asks, check Create desktop shortcut and select Allow.

If You Have More Than One Gmail Account

A basic shortcut opens whichever account you signed in to first. To make a separate icon for a second account, use Method 1 with this address instead:

• https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/ for your second signed-in account
• https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/ for your third

Name each shortcut after the account, such as Gmail Work, so you can tell them apart. The numbers follow the order you signed in, so they can change if you sign out of an account. To learn what signing out does on each device, read logging out of your Google Account.

If one of those accounts holds mail you can’t afford to lose, learn how to back up Gmail with Google Takeout.

Put Gmail on the Taskbar or Start Menu

A desktop shortcut made with New > Shortcut is a web link, and Windows can’t pin web links to the taskbar. Install Gmail as an app instead, then pin it:

1. Install Gmail as an app with Method 3 (Chrome) or Method 4 (Edge).
2. Open the Gmail app. Its icon appears on the taskbar while it’s open.
3. Right-click the Gmail icon on the taskbar and select Pin to taskbar.

4. To add it to Start, open Start, select All, right-click Gmail, and select Pin to Start.

For more detail, read pinning Gmail to the taskbar in Windows 11.

To see how many unread emails are waiting, you can also enable the unread message icon in Gmail so the count appears on the Gmail tab.

Frequently Asked Questions