Default Email Program For Mac

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Mail is set as the default email program on our Mac, so when we happen to click on an email link in anything (say, our browser), the Mail app automatically opens up and creates an email message. We don’t want that, we’d like to be able to designate our chosen email apps (I use Thunderbird, she uses Entourage). How do you change this?

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While there’s a lot about Mac OS X that I think is wonderfully crafted, changing the default email program (or Web browser, for that matter) is pretty baffling. In the old days, there was a separate Control Panel for changing all these settings, but now you need to know the trick…
For changing your default email program, it turns out you need to launch the Mail.app program just once to get to its Preferences panel.
When you start it up, the program will step you through the configuration steps, but you don’t have to finish these steps, just go step-by-step until the Preferences option on the Mail menu isn’t greyed out.
Once you can get to the Preferences, here’s what you’ll see:

Your default mail reader is what's used when you're browsing a web page and share it via email with a friend or colleague, or mail it to yourself for further reading. The Mac default is to use the Mail app, but you can change the default to Outlook. The Mac opens data files (pics, sounds, docs) in applications automatically, but you can change which apps they use in a few simple steps. Change the Default Application a File Opens With on Your Mac.


The topmost element is what you want to change: pick the mailer you’d prefer as your default email handler (You can see that I use Microsoft Entourage, not Apple Mail). Click the little red button on the top left to close the window and quit Mail without finishing up the configuration steps.
That’s all there is to it.
If you wanted to change your default Web browser, by the way, Apple Safari has a similar option on its Preferences pane, in the “General” area. Why it’s not a part of the “Network” Control Panel, or even its own Control Panel, escapes me completely. Wouldn’t that be easier?

Let’s Stay In Touch!

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

The default mail program is the software that is registered with your operating system as the software that is to handle mailto URL's. When another application wants to send an email, it looks up the default and passes the email to the default mail program.

Use the following steps to change the default mail program in Mac OS X:

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  1. Open the Mail application from the Applications folder.

  2. Click on the Mail menu and select Preferences..

  3. Click the General button. If you don't see the General button, click on the small oval in the upper right corner to reveal it.

  4. Select a new default mail program from the Default Email Reader menu (e.g. Thunderbird, Entourage).

Best Email Program For Mac

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Default Email Program For Mac

Keywords:mac os x osx setting default mail program eudora mail mail.app thunderbird entourage eudoradisclaimerSuggest keywordsDoc ID:12341
Owner:Leah S.Group:DoIT Help Desk
Created:2009-09-30 19:00 CDTUpdated:2016-03-22 16:17 CDT
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