In Windows 11, when you click an email link, Windows opens the request in the default app set for the link type. This will default to the Mail app if you have never made any changes to the default email app.
However, you can set Windows 11 so that an email-related link such as a “mailto” link opens by default in Gmail via the Google Chrome browser.
Several steps are involved, including configuring the default handling settings in Chrome and setting the default app for certain types of links or file types in Windows 11.
Follow the steps below to set Gmail, which opens in Chrome, as the default app for opening email links in Windows 11.
Set Gmail as the default email app in Windows 11
To get started, you first need to enable “Protocol Handlers” in Chrome. This allows Chrome to perform special tasks when clicking on a link.
Open Google Chrome, click on the Chrome menu at the top right and in the menu click on Settings. Click on Privacy and Security on the left. Then click on Site Settings and then on “Additional permissions” and on “Protocol Handlers”.
Enable the option: Sites can ask to process protocols.
Then use the Google Chrome browser to go to mail.google.com and log in with your Google account to open Google mail.
Once you are logged in, click the “Protocol Handlers” icon at the top right of the address bar and click Allow to allow mail.google.com to open email links. Then click Done.
A new window will open in Windows 11 to change default apps. In the search box type: mailto. Then click on the result to replace the default Mail app with Gmail in the Google Chrome browser.
A window opens. Click on Google Chrome and then click OK.
You have now set up Google Chrome to open shortcuts with Gmail via the Google Chrome browser.
If you wish to restore the Mail app, repeat the step above and instead of letting the Google Chrome browser handle the “mailto” shortcuts, select the Mail app.
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I hope this helped you. Thank you for reading!
View comments (9)
Dear, all is well, but the logo is probably not an icon logo, it is a jpg file.
The link in the article to the Gmail icon is a ".ico" file. You may be doing something wrong.
https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/rfr/gmail.icoSuccess!
Everything resolved, both are neatly on the bottom toolbar and work fine.
Once again a big compliment to you.
Dear, thank you very much for showing me how to add the gmail icon to the taskbar in Windows 11, I have been looking for it for a long time but never found it properly. Thanks.
Can this also be done with the calendar in Gmail?
Hello, yes definitely. Then you replace:
explorer.exe https://gmail.com/Door:
explorer https://calendar.google.com/calendar/See: https://www.pc-tips.info/tips/windows-tips/gmail-vastmaken-aan-de-taakbalk-in-windows-11-of-10/
Success!
For me, the protocol handlers icon on the address bar in Gmail is not visible...
Hello, you may find the solution here:
https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/52881065/chrome-handlers-are-missing-how-do-i-restore-being-able-to-mail-from-a-link-on-a-website?hl=nl
Good luck! Greetings, Stefan
How do I set up my Gmail account on Windows 11?
Hello, through a third party app you can set up Gmail in Windows 11:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/9003945?hl=nl
Greetings, Stefan