Setting Your Browser as Default Email Handler

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Overview

When you click on an email link in a Web page or email message your computer will open a new ‘compose window’ with the email address in the To: line. The program used to compose messages is determined by the Default Mail Handler for your computer. OIT supports the use of Williams Gmail though your browsers so we recommending setting the browser you use to check email as the Default Mail Handler.

Requirements

This is for all users of Williams email.

Instructions

Chrome

When you first log in to your Williams Google Mail account in Chrome, you’ll see a double-diamond icon in your address bar. Clicking this icon opens a menu: Choose Use Williams College Mail (mail.google.com) and then click Done. Chrome will now open a new compose window whenever you click on an email link.

If you don’t see the double-diamond icon in your Address bar, you can set the re-configure the email handler in your Google Chrome settings. If you see a email link you can right click that email and use the 'Open link with' option to configure the mail to. If you see the mail.google.com option choose that or choose configure and remove the current default. Once the default is remove the above directions with the double-diamond icon will apply.

Firefox

Click the menu button and choose Settings.
Under general scroll down to the Applications panel.
Search for the Content-type: mailto and select it.
Click on the Actions column in the mailto row, to change the action.
Use <GMail> will open your Williams GMail service’s message composition page inside Firefox.

Safari\

Make sure that the other email app you want to use is already installed.
Open the Mail app and make sure that it's set up to use any email account. If necessary, add an email account. You can remove or disable the account in Mail settings after you complete the remaining steps. If you don't want to temporarily add an email account, check the settings of your other email app: it might offer a way to set itself as the default email app.
From the Mail menu in the menu bar, choose Settings (or Preferences).
Click General, then choose an email app from the “Default email reader” pop-up menu. If you don't see your email app in the menu, choose Select from the menu, then select your email app from the file dialog that opens.

If you're using webmail (email in a web browser) instead of an email app, you can choose a web browser in Mail settings

Additional Help

See the related article section for more information. Please use the service request button on the top to request additional help.