To set Gmail as the default email in Chrome, open mail.google.com in Chrome on a computer, select the handler icon (two overlapping diamonds) at the right end of the address bar, choose Allow, and then select Done. From then on, email links you click in Chrome open a new Gmail message with the address already filled in.
That covers links inside Chrome. If you also want email links in other programs, such as a PDF or a Word document, to open Gmail, your computer has to send those links to Chrome as well. Both parts are explained below, along with how to check the setting, undo it, and fix a missing icon.
What You Need Before You Start
- Chrome on a computer. These steps are for Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux, or a Chromebook. Phones and tablets work differently and are covered near the end.
- A Gmail account you are signed in to. The icon appears on the Gmail inbox page, not on the sign-in page.
- Permission to change site settings. On a work or school computer, an administrator can control this setting, so some options may be locked.
Two terms come up often in this guide. A mailto link is a link that starts a new email instead of opening a web page, such as an Email us link on a contact page. A protocol handler is the site or app that Chrome hands that kind of link to. Google describes the Protocol handlers permission as letting sites handle tasks when you select certain links, such as creating a message in your email client. You can read that description on the Chrome Help page for site settings permissions.
How to Set Gmail as the Default Email in Chrome
Google’s help pages describe the Protocol handlers setting but do not list click-by-click steps for the address bar icon, so the wording on your screen may differ slightly from the labels below depending on your Chrome version.
- Open Chrome and go to mail.google.com. Sign in if you are asked to, and wait for your inbox to load.
- Look at the right end of the address bar, next to the bookmark star. Find the handler icon, which looks like two overlapping diamonds.
- Select the icon. A small box asks whether to allow mail.google.com to open all email links.
- Choose Allow.
- Select Done. The box closes and the icon usually disappears, because Chrome has saved your answer.
Gmail is now the site Chrome uses for email links. No restart is needed in most cases.
How to Choose Gmail in Chrome Settings
Use this route if you have allowed more than one email site, or if you want to see which one Chrome is using.
- At the top right of Chrome, select More (the three dots), then Settings.
- Select Privacy and security, then Site settings.
- Scroll to Additional permissions, expand it, and select Protocol handlers.
- Make sure Sites can ask to handle protocols is selected.
- Under email, find mail.google.com. If another site is marked as the default, select the three dots next to Gmail and choose Set as default.
A quicker way to reach the same page is to type chrome://settings/handlers in the address bar and press Enter. Changes on this page save automatically.
If Gmail is not listed under email at all, it has not been allowed yet. Go back to the first method and allow it from the Gmail tab.
How to Make Email Links in Other Apps Open Gmail
The Chrome setting only applies to links you click inside Chrome. A mailto link in another program is handled by your operating system first, which opens whatever it has set as the default email app. To reach Gmail, that default needs to be Chrome. Chrome then passes the link to Gmail using the handler you just set.
Windows 11 and Windows 10
- Open Settings and select Apps, then Default apps.
- In the search box under Set a default for a file type or link type, type MAILTO.
- Select the result, then choose Google Chrome from the list of apps.
Microsoft explains both ways of assigning defaults, by link type or by app, in Change Default Apps in Windows. Some Windows 10 versions show an Email entry on the Default apps page instead, and you can pick Google Chrome there. Our guide on how to change default apps in Windows 11 has more detail on that screen.
Mac
- Open the Mail app. Apple notes that Mail must be set up with an email account before you can change this setting.
- From the menu bar, choose Mail, then Settings (Preferences on older macOS versions).
- Select General, then choose Google Chrome from the Default email reader menu. If Chrome is not listed, choose Select and pick it from your Applications folder.
These labels come from Apple’s page, Change the default web browser or email app on Mac.
Making Chrome your default browser is a separate setting. It controls where web links open, not email links, but it is worth doing if you use Chrome for everything. Google lists the steps for each system in Make Chrome your default browser.
How to Confirm It Worked
- Test a link. Open any web page with an email link, such as a contact page, and click it. A Gmail compose window should open in Chrome with the address in the To field.
- Check the list. Go to
chrome://settings/handlers. mail.google.com should appear under email. - Test outside Chrome. Click an email link in a document or another app. If a different mail program opens, the computer setting in the previous section still points somewhere else.
How to Remove Gmail as the Default
Removing Gmail does not delete any mail or change your Google account. It only changes what happens when you click an email link.
- Go to
chrome://settings/handlers. - Under email, select the three dots next to mail.google.com.
- Choose Remove.
Email links in Chrome then go back to the default mail app on your computer. If you would rather stop every site from asking, select Don’t allow sites to handle protocols on the same page. To send links from other apps somewhere else, change the Windows or Mac setting back to the mail app you prefer.
What to Do If the Handler Icon Is Missing
The icon only shows when Chrome has a question to ask. Work through these checks in order.
- Gmail may already be allowed. Open
chrome://settings/handlers. If mail.google.com is listed under email, there is nothing left to approve. - Sites may not be allowed to ask. On the same page, select Sites can ask to handle protocols, then reload the Gmail tab.
- Gmail may be blocked. If mail.google.com appears in the list of sites that are not allowed to handle protocols, remove it from that list and reload Gmail.
- The tab may be stale. Close every Gmail tab, quit Chrome, reopen it, and load mail.google.com in a new tab.
- Several accounts may be signed in. Some users report that the icon does not appear with more than one Google account signed in at once. Google does not document this, but signing in with only one account while you set it up is a harmless thing to try.
- The browser may be managed. If Chrome shows that it is managed by your organization, your administrator may have set the email handler by policy. Ask them to change it.
If the link opens Gmail but in the wrong browser, or opens another mail program entirely, the cause is the computer default, not Chrome. Repeat the Windows or Mac steps above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work with Outlook.com or Yahoo Mail?
Chrome’s Protocol handlers setting is not limited to Gmail. Any webmail site that asks to handle email links can be allowed the same way, by opening it in Chrome and selecting the handler icon. If you allow more than one, pick the one you want with Set as default on the Protocol handlers page.
Which Gmail account opens when I click an email link?
The new message opens in Gmail inside the Chrome profile you are using. If you are signed in to several Google accounts in that profile, it may not be the account you expect. Keeping each account in its own Chrome profile avoids the mix-up. See how to add a new Chrome profile.
Can I set Gmail as the default email in Chrome on a phone?
Not with these steps. The handler icon is part of Chrome on a computer. On an iPhone or iPad, the default mail app is chosen in the device’s Default Apps settings, as Google explains in Make Gmail your default mail app on iPhone & iPad. On Android, email links are handled by the default apps settings on the phone, not by a Chrome setting.
Do I need to keep a Gmail tab open?
No. Once the handler is saved, clicking an email link opens Gmail in a new tab or window by itself. You do need to be signed in to Gmail in Chrome, or you will see the sign-in page first.
Does this change my default email for the whole computer?
No. Allowing Gmail in Chrome only affects links clicked in Chrome. The Windows or Mac default email setting is separate and has to be pointed at Chrome if you want other programs to follow along.
Next Steps
With email links opening in Gmail, a few related guides can help you finish setting up Chrome and Gmail the way you like.
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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