What "default email" means and why you might want to change it

Your default email account is the one your device automatically opens when you click an email link on a website, or when an app needs to send something. On most devices, the first email account you set up becomes the default — but if you've added multiple accounts since then, you may want to switch which one takes over that job.

This matters because clicking "Email this article" or "Contact us" will launch whichever account is set as default. If you use one Gmail account for work and another for personal mail, having the wrong one as default means extra steps every time.

The steps to change your default email differ depending on whether you're on Windows, Mac, or Android. Each operating system stores this setting in a different place.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, you change your default email through Settings > Apps > Default Apps, then search for "email" and select Gmail.
  • On Mac, you open Gmail in your web browser, click the Settings gear, go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and check "Default email client".
  • On Android, open Settings > Apps > Default Apps (or Default Application), find Email, and select Gmail.
  • If Gmail doesn't appear in your default apps list, you may need to open Gmail once first or reinstall it.
  • Changing your default email does not affect which account receives mail — it only changes which account opens when you click an email link.

Setting Gmail as default on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Open the Windows Settings app by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings", then press Enter. Once Settings opens, click Apps in the left sidebar, then click Default Apps.

Scroll down the list until you see Email. Click on it. A window will pop up showing email programs installed on your computer. Look for Gmail in the list and click it once. Windows will confirm the change immediately — you don't need to click a separate "Save" button.

If Gmail doesn't appear in the list, open the Gmail website in your browser first (gmail.com), sign in, and try the steps again. Sometimes Windows needs to see that Gmail is installed before it shows up as an option.

Setting Gmail as default on Mac

Go to gmail.com in your web browser and sign in to the Gmail account you want as default. Once you're logged in, click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner of the page, then click See all settings.

Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. Scroll down until you see a checkbox that says Gmail as default email client. Check that box, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes.

Your browser may ask for permission to let Gmail handle email links. Click Allow or Yes depending on which browser you use. After that, Gmail becomes your default email client on that Mac.

Setting Gmail as default on Android phones and tablets

Open the Settings app on your Android device. Scroll down and tap Apps (some Android versions call this Application Manager). Look for an option called Default Apps or Default Application — the exact name varies by phone brand.

Tap Email from the list. Your device will show all email apps installed on your phone. Tap Gmail. Your phone will confirm the change right away.

If you don't see an Email option in Default Apps, your phone may not have a system-wide email default. In that case, the first time you click an email link, Android will ask you which app to use — you can choose Gmail then, and check a box to make it the default for future clicks.

What to do if Gmail doesn't show up as an option

If you've followed the steps for your device but Gmail isn't appearing in the default apps list, the most common reason is that Gmail hasn't been opened yet since you installed it. Open the Gmail app or website once, sign in, and then go back to your default apps settings and try again.

If Gmail still doesn't appear, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Gmail app. On Android, go to Settings > Apps, find Gmail, tap it, and select Uninstall. Then go to the Google Play Store, search for Gmail, and tap Install. On Windows or Mac, uninstall Gmail through your system's app removal tool, then download it fresh from google.com/gmail.

After reinstalling, open Gmail once to let your system register it, then return to your default apps settings.

Changing your default account within Gmail itself

This is different from setting Gmail as your default email client — this is about which Gmail account opens when you launch the app. If you have multiple Gmail accounts and want a specific one to open first, you can change that within Gmail's settings.

On the Gmail website, click the Settings gear in the top right, then click See all settings. Click the Accounts and Import tab. Under "Send mail as", you'll see your accounts listed. The one marked Default is the one that appears first when you open Gmail. To change it, click Make default next to a different account.

On the Gmail app for Android or iPhone, tap your profile picture in the top right, then tap Manage your Google Account. Go to the Personal info tab and scroll to find your account settings. The process varies slightly by phone, but you're looking for an option to set a primary or default account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my default email affect which account receives my mail?

No. Your default email setting only controls which account opens when you click an email link. All your accounts will continue to receive mail normally. This is purely about which account your device launches automatically.

Can I set different default emails on different devices?

Yes. Each device has its own default email setting. You can set one Gmail account as default on your phone and a different one as default on your computer, and they won't affect each other.

What happens if I uninstall Gmail after setting it as default?

Your device will no longer have a default email app. The next time you click an email link, your device will ask you which app to use. You can reinstall Gmail and set it as default again.

Do I need to do this on both the Gmail website and the Gmail app?

No. Setting Gmail as your system's default email client (through Settings) works for both the website and the app. You only need to do it once per device. Changing which Gmail account opens first is a separate setting within Gmail itself.