# Set Gmail as the default email handler in Chrome

Follow these steps to set up Gmail as the default email handler in Google Chrome.

- Visit [http://gmail.com](http://gmail.com/ "http://gmail.com") in Google Chrome and click the protocol handler icon [![overlapping-diamonds.png](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2020-09/scaled-1680-/overlapping-diamonds.png) ](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2020-09/overlapping-diamonds.png)in your browser's address bar  
    
    - If you don't see the icon, follow the steps below
- Make sure `Allow` is selected and then click `Done`

- - If you don't see the protocol handler icon ![overlapping-diamonds.png](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2020-09/scaled-1680-/overlapping-diamonds.png), close all Gmail tabs
    - Go to [chrome://settings/handlers](chrome://settings/handlers)
    - Remove any entries shown there using the three-dot settings menu
    - Make sure "Sites can ask to handle protocols" is selected at the top
    - Close the tab
    - Launch Gmail, and you should now see the icon at the right of the address bar
    - Click that to set Gmail as your default email handler.
    - If you still don't see the icon, restart Chrome and/or your computer

That's it! Now and in the future, when you click on a `<span class="search_hit">mailto</span>:` link, it will automatically open in Gmail.

**[You can also view a video on how to do this on YouTube](https://youtu.be/T7DiINb5Hnc "https://youtu.be/T7DiINb5Hnc").**