Email: Setting your Browser to be your Default Email Program

If you click on a linked email address online, your computer will attempt to open your default email program and put that email address into the "To" line. If you use Gmail in your browser as your default email program, here's how to set things up so that those email links open in a Gmail composing screen.

1) Set your Browser to be your Default Email Application

Windows

  1. In your Start menu, search for Default Apps
  2. In the Email section of the Default Apps settings page, select your preferred browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc)

Mac

2) Set your Browser to default to Gmail

Chrome (click to show/hide):
  1. In Chrome, click on the 3-dot menu at the top right of your screen and select Settings
  2. Select the Privacy and Security section
  3. Click Site Settings
  4. Click on Additional permissions
  5. Click on Protocol Handlers
  6. Select Sites can ask to handle protocols (if mail.com appears on the list, make sure it's not blocked)
  7. Open gmail.carleton.edu in Chrome
  8. In the address bar, click the double-diamond Service Handler icon
    screenshot showing the service handlers icon
  9. When prompted to Allow mail.google.com to open all email links?, select Allow and then Done.
Firefox (click to show/hide):
  1. In Firefox open the 3-bar "Hamburger" menu at the top right of your screen and select Settings
  2. Search the preferences box for mail
  3. Beside the mailto option, click the Action column and select Gmail
Safari (click to show/hide):

Unfortunately Safari doesn't offer a way to make this automatic. The best course of action is:

  1. Right-click on the email address and select Copy Email Address
  2. Open Gmail and paste the email address into the To: line of a new message
Edge (click to show/hide):
  1. In Edge, open the 3-dot menu at the top right of your screen and select Settings
  2. In the left-hand Settings menu, select Cookies and site permissions
  3. Select Protocol handlers
  4. Ensure that the option to Allow sites to ask to become default handlers for protocols is turn ON
  5. Open gmail.carleton.edu in Edge
  6. In the address bar, click the double-diamond Service Handler icon
    Screenshot showing the Service Handlers icon
  7. When prompted to Allow mail.google.com to open all email links?, select Allow and then Done.

Need Help?

Please contact the ITS Helpdesk for assistance: go.carleton.edu/helpdesk or 507-222-5999

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