How to Set Gmail as Firefox Default Email Client
In some occasions when you click on an email link while browsing some webpages, you will be prompted with email clients such as Microsoft Window Mail for Vista or Microsoft Outlook Express for XP. If your email client has yet to be configured, you need to set up and configure it before you can send out emails. It is quite troublesome and inconvenient if you haven’t done so. Anyway, if you are Gmail and Firefox users, the good news is the new Firefox 3 allows users to configure and set Gmail as a default email client. This latest Firefox 3 comes with support YahooMail as default email client. For Gmail users, some setting needs to be done to edit the “mailto” application handler.
- At the Firefox 3 address bar, you need to type in “about:config” and you will be prompted with a warning page. Just click on “I’ll be careful, I promise!” button to proceed.
- Type in “gecko.handlerService” into Filter box until you get gecko.handlerService.allowRegisterFromDifferentHost Preference name. Make sure the value is “True”. Change it if it is not.
- Also check for network.protocol-handler.external.mailto Preference name. Make sure the value is “True”.
- Copy the following code to the address bar and press ENTER.
javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler("mailto","https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s","GMail") - Copy the following link and press ENTER if you are a Google Apps user:
javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler(”mailto”,”https://mail.google.com/a/example.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s”,”GMail”)Change example.com to your own domain name.
- Firefox 3 will thence prompt you a question whether you want to add application. Click on the “Add Application” button.
- Now you click any mailto: link and you will prompt with a small window “Launch Application”. Firefox 3 requests your confirmation on which applications to be used. Check the “Gmail” box and also check the box showing “Remember my choice for mailto links”. Click OK
- The process is done. Anyway, for safety reason, it is advisable to go back to “about:config” and set gecko.handlerService.allowRegisterFromDifferentHost value back to false.
If you have decided to remove Gmail as your default mail client, you need to go to Firefox’s Tool menu and select Preference then go to Application tab. Find mailto and select Application Detail from the Drop-down menu. Remove GMail by select GMail and click remove.
For user using Yahoo! Mail, here’s how to set Yahoo! Mail as default email client in Firefox.
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Entries (RSS)
June 4th, 2009 18:29
In the second script for Google Apps users you should change the quotation characters from ” to ” or ‘ otherwise it doesn’t work.
April 13th, 2009 10:29
I used the single quotes and it worked. Problem is when I click on a mailto link it doesn’t put anything into the TO or Subject lines.
April 11th, 2009 22:25
Worked like a dream. Thank you!
April 10th, 2009 23:55
Actually installing the Gmail Notifier solved my problem… don’t know why but I’m happy:
http://groups.google.com/group/google-mail-problem-solving-uk/browse_thread/thread/3c147f4090d0f31f?pli=1
April 10th, 2009 23:27
I tried the steps and when typing in
javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler(”mailto”,”https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s”,”GMail”)
got ‘Gmail has already been added as an application for mailto links’ and YET whenever I click one Microsoft Office Outlook opens. It’s burning up all my trial tries. Anyone else had this problem?
April 6th, 2009 16:46
This is old news,
In Firefox 3: Edit – Preferences – Applications
I’m on Ubuntu so it might be a bit different for Windows users.
Find the ‘Applications’ tab in the browser settings.
Search ‘mailto’ – choose ‘Gmail’ there you go…
no more magic
easy peasy.
March 21st, 2009 09:16
You can just do the following:
in firefox:
1. go to TOOLS
2. go to OPTIONS
3. click on the tab ADVANCED
4. In content type, scroll down to ‘mail to’ or type ‘mail to’
5. click on the ACtions column and choose whatever client you need.
EASY!!!
November 19th, 2008 10:43
I’m trying to do this, but am unable to get it to work. my e-mail address is @roydongb.com but I read my e-mails in gmail. How do I go about setting this up>
September 20th, 2008 12:24
This was the 1st google hit I got and it worked great for me. Nice tip.
September 10th, 2008 02:01
Great hack. worked perfectly for me, thanks for posting!
August 11th, 2008 17:41
The code will not work in form it given on this site, you must replace double quotation marsk ” to single ‘ :
javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler(’mailto’,'https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s,’GMail’)
August 7th, 2008 17:41
Te explicas como el culo, chaval
July 2nd, 2008 02:52
[...] Note: It’s also possible to set Gmail as the default mailto: handler at Firefox 3. [...]
June 30th, 2008 23:10
yes.
June 30th, 2008 14:23
Have you verify gecko.handlerService.allowRegisterFromDifferentHost and network.protocol-handler.external.mailto are True?
June 30th, 2008 13:34
I report same result as suchi. the javascript step produces no visible result and I don’t find “webmail” in the Application list (via Options). I’m using a custom variation where “my server” is the name of my server
: javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler(”mailto”,”https://mail.”my-server”.net/src/login.php”,”webmail”)
June 30th, 2008 13:10
Vaneet, Only works in Firefox 3. suchi, do you press Enter in Firefox 3?
June 30th, 2008 12:49
javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler(”mailto”,”https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s”,”GMail”)
is not working. There is no any pop up dialog. Any ideas?
June 30th, 2008 12:14
No, it is firefox2 but does it not work for firefox2? If yes can you guide me?
June 30th, 2008 12:01
Are you using Firefox 3?
June 30th, 2008 09:48
Hi,
I tried to follow the steps and tried to filter by putting gecko.handlerService in filter box but there is nothing having this as prefix.
I manually tried to locate the variable but “gecko.handlerService.allowRegisterFromDifferentHost”
is nowhere in the list of variables.
Can you help me in figuring out that what is going wrong.