Introduction

Champlain College uses gmail for all primary communication purposes. If you would like to make gmail online the default email program through the Chrome browser, follow the steps below. This will ensure that clicking an email address link (ex: example@example.com) will open in gmail through chrome. 

 

Preparation

First, gmail and chrome need to be enabled to accept email links. Navigate to https://mail.google.com and ensure that you are logged in to your Champlain email account. If you have a personal gmail account already signed in, please follow the steps in our article about Chrome profiles, linked here. 

Once logged in, you may notice a double-diamond icon in the top right corner of the URL bar, next to the "add favorite" star icon. If present, click this icon, then click "allowed" to let chrome send email links to gmail. 

 

Double-Diamond icon not present

If you do not see the diamond icon shown above, you may have clicked an option in the past. To fix this, please navigate to:

chrome://settings/handlers

in your chrome browser and look for a listed option for mail.google.com. If present, click the "x" next to it to remove this entry. 

Once deleted, re-try the first steps above to allow chrome to open emails. Once allowed, please proceed to the next steps. 

 

Windows

Open the settings app on your computer, then navigate to the "default apps" section. You can quickly find this by searching in the top bar. 

 

On the default apps page, search for "MAILTO" in the search box, then click on whatever option is currently shown as the default app. 

 

When you click this option, a new menu will appear with a list of applications that can accept email links. Please click the Chrome option, then "set as default".

 

Done! Feel free to close the settings app. All email links clicked in your browser or anywhere on your computer should now re-direct to gmail in the chrome browser. You may test this functionality with the example email link here: example@example.com

 

macOS

First, follow the "preparation" steps above. After ensuring that gmail is set to "allow" email links, proceed with the next steps below. 

Open the Mail app on your Mac. You can find it by pressing the command + space keys together on your keyboard, then search for "mail" in the search bar. 

Once the mail app is open, click the Mail app name in the status bar at the top of your screen, then click the Settings option. 

In the Mail preferences screen, ensure that Google Chrome is set to the default email reader. If not, click the dropdown menu and select the Google Chrome option. 

If you do not see Google Chrome as an option, please re-try the Preparation steps above. Otherwise, click the "select..." option and find Google Chrome in the apps list:

Once Chrome is set to the default email app, feel free to close and quit the Mail app. Any email links you click should now be opened in chrome on the gmail website. You may test this functionality with the email link here: example@example.com