In Gmail on a computer, open Settings > See all settings > General, find Default reply behavior, select Reply all, and click Save Changes at the bottom. Gmail will then make Reply all the default response action for messages with multiple recipients.
The setting changes the reply option Gmail presents. It does not send responses automatically, force every response to go to a group, or add people who were never recipients of the message.
Change the Default in Gmail on the Web
- Open Gmail in your computer’s web browser and sign in to the account you want to change.
- Click the Settings gear near the upper-right corner.
- Click See all settings. The quick settings panel alone does not contain every setting.
- Open the General tab if it is not already selected.
- Scroll to Default reply behavior.
- Select Reply all.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes.
Gmail returns to your mail view after saving. If you manage more than one Gmail account, check the profile picture and account address before changing the setting. Review the setting separately in each account where you want this behavior.
Google’s instructions for replying on a computer document Reply and Reply all as the available default choices. This applies to the Gmail website, including Gmail used through a Google Workspace account.
Check That Reply All Is the Default
Open a message that includes you and at least one other recipient in the To or Cc fields. Look at the response controls at the bottom of the message, and start a reply without sending it.
Check the draft’s recipient line. Reply all should address the sender and the other appropriate visible recipients. You can cancel or close the draft after reviewing it. You do not need to send an email to test the setting.
If the original message was addressed only to you, Reply all may have no additional recipients to include. Use a genuine group message for this check so the difference is visible.
Who Receives a Reply-All Message?
Google describes Reply all as a response to the sender and people in the message’s To and Cc lines. Before sending, expand the recipient area to inspect the actual addresses in your draft.
People whose addresses were hidden in Bcc are not revealed or reconstructed for you by Reply all. A message may also use a Reply-To address supplied by the sender, so the address in your draft matters more than assuming it will exactly match a display name.
If you need to add or remove someone, edit the recipient list before sending. Our guide to Cc in Gmail explains how carbon-copy recipients work. For a new person who needs the context of a conversation, forwarding may be more appropriate than adding them to a response without reviewing the quoted thread.
Reply Only to the Sender for One Message
You can still choose Reply when Reply all is the default. Use the reply-type menu in the response area, or open the message’s More menu and choose the response you need.
If you have already opened a Reply-all draft, change its reply type or edit the recipients before writing sensitive information. Check the recipient line again after changing the response type.
Changing one draft does not require switching the account’s default back. The default is a starting point; you remain responsible for choosing the right recipients for each email.
If you prefer keyboard controls, enable Gmail keyboard shortcuts. The a shortcut starts Reply all and r starts Reply, so check the recipients after either action.
Reply to a Specific Message in a Long Thread
A conversation can contain several messages with different recipient lists. A person added halfway through a discussion may not have been included in an earlier message.
Expand the particular message you want to answer, open its More menu, and choose Reply all or Reply there. Then check the draft recipients and quoted content. This helps avoid responding to the wrong part of the conversation or assuming everyone has seen every earlier message.
The bottom-of-thread reply controls are convenient, but reviewing the specific message is useful when the group has changed or the thread contains information that should go to fewer people.
Set Reply All as the Default on Android
The Gmail Android app has its own documented default-reply control:
- Open the Gmail app on the Android phone or tablet.
- Open the Menu, then tap Settings.
- Tap General settings.
- Tap Default email reply action.
- Choose Reply all.
Google’s Android reply guide confirms this path. Check the Android setting directly rather than assuming a change made on the desktop website controls the app.
What About Gmail on iPhone or iPad?
You can select Reply all while responding to an individual message in the Gmail app. Google’s iPhone and iPad reply instructions do not document the same Android Default email reply action setting. Do not look for the desktop General tab inside the iPhone app.
If your goal is to configure Gmail’s web default, use the website on a computer. When replying from an iPhone or iPad, choose the response type and inspect the recipients for that message.
If the Setting Does Not Seem to Work
You cannot find Default reply behavior: Click See all settings and check General. The side panel opened by the gear is not the full General settings page.
Your change disappears: Return to the setting, select Reply all, and click Save Changes at the bottom. Navigating away before saving can leave the old choice in place.
A reply still contains one address: Check whether the original message actually has other visible recipients. Reply all cannot include hidden Bcc recipients whose addresses you do not have.
Another account behaves differently: Confirm the signed-in account. A personal Gmail account and a work account need to be checked separately.
The mobile app behaves differently: Use its documented controls. Gmail web, Android, and iPhone/iPad do not expose identical settings menus.
Switch Back to Reply by Default
Open Settings > See all settings > General > Default reply behavior, select Reply, and click Save Changes. On Android, return to General settings > Default email reply action and choose Reply.
Start a draft from a group message and check the recipients to confirm the change. Existing drafts should still be reviewed individually; do not assume changing the default has corrected a draft you already started.
Common Questions
Does Reply All by Default create automatic replies?
No. You still write and send the response yourself. Vacation replies and other automatic responses are separate Gmail features.
How can I reduce the risk of sending to the wrong group?
Inspect the actual addresses before sending, especially when discussing private information or attaching a file. If you make a sending mistake, Gmail’s Undo Send may help during its short cancellation window; it is not a permanent recall tool.
Will my signature appear in replies?
That depends on your signature settings, which are separate from the default reply behavior. See how to create a Gmail signature if you want to configure the text added to your replies.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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