Overview:

This guide will walk you through managing how your browser handles email links, specifically with Gmail. You might encounter situations where you click an email link on a website and it automatically tries to open in Gmail. This article will show you how to either disable this behavior or, conversely, how to troubleshoot if Gmail isn't opening when you expect it to. We'll cover the steps for removing Gmail as the default handler and what to do if you need to reset your browser settings to allow it.

Walkthrough:

If Gmail is currently set as your default email handler and you want to remove it:

1. Remove mail.google.com as the handler for the email protocol. 
   1. Chrome-- chrome://settings/handlers
   2. 
   3. You may need to clear the Cookies and Site Data for Gmail (see below).

If Gmail is NOT set as your default email handler:

1. Clear all Cookies and Site Data for Gmail.
   1. Clear all Cookies and Site Data for Gmail
      1. 
      2. 
      3. 
      4. 
      5. 
2. Set Gmail to “Allow mail.google.com to open all email links”
   1. 

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should now be able to control whether Gmail is your browser's default handler for email links. If Gmail was set as the default and you wanted to remove it, you should have successfully done so. Alternatively, if Gmail wasn't opening email links, you should have been able to reset the necessary browser settings to enable it. You now have a better understanding of how your browser manages email protocols and how to adjust these settings as needed.

For instructional/pedagogical questions, please contact your Building Administrator or Student Growth & Experience (SG&E) Level Coordinator.

For technical questions, please contact your building SPOC.