Clicked an email address only to watch Windows launch Mail instead of your favorite email program — again? Find out here how to set the default mail client on Windows 11 ⤓ and Windows 10 to Outlook, Thunderbird, Mailbird, etc. (for reading mail and when you click an email address for writing a message).
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How to Set the Default Mail Client on Windows 11
Time needed: 3 minutes
To change the default program used for sending and receiving emails on Windows 11:
- Open the Windows Start menu.
- Open the Settings app.
Windows keyboard shortcut: You can press Windows I to open Windows settings.
- Go to the Apps section.
- Select Default apps.
- Click the program you want to make the default for email under Set defaults for applications.
Search: Use the Search apps field, of course, to narrow down the list.
- For all file types and protocols, click Choose a default or the current program, then pick your choice from the menu that has appeared.
Example: Pick Outlook or Mailbird for .eml to open email files.
- Close the Settings window.
Set the Windows 10 Default Email Program
To change the default email program on Windows 10:
- Open the Start menu.
- Select Settings or the settings gear from the menu.
- Now choose Apps on the Windows Settings screen.
- Open the Default apps section under Apps.
- Click the currently selected application under Email.
- Now select the desired program from the list.
Example: Choose Outlook to set Microsoft Outlook as the default mail client on Windows.
- Close the Settings window.
How to Set the Default Mail Client on Windows: FAQ
Where is the default email program used in Windows?
The default Windows email program is used
- to display new and unread emails on the Windows lock screen and
- when you click an email address in a browser.
Browsers: You can set up Mozilla Firefox to use a different default email program, and change the default email program for Google Chrome separately as well.
Will the default email client be used for “mailto:” links?
On Windows 10, links using the mailto: protocol will use the default email program — if the browser does not override this.
On Windows 11, they will open using the app set for MAILTO: URL:MailTo Protocol in Default apps.
How do I change the default email program on Windows 7, Vista, etc.?
To change the default email client in Windows versions from 7 to Vista:
- Open Control Panel.
- Select Programs.
- Now choose Set your default programs.
- Highlight the email program to be default in the list under Programs.
- Click Set this program as default.
(Tested with Windows 11 Version 22H2–25H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H1; first published October 2019, last updated June 2026)