How to change default mail app on windows 10

To change the default mail app on Windows 10, you can follow these steps:

Method 1: Using the Settings app

  1. Go to the Start menu and click on the Settings icon (it looks like a gear).
  2. Click on "Apps" (or "Applications" in some versions of Windows 10).
  3. Click on "Default apps" on the left side of the window.
  4. Click on "Email" under the "Choose default apps by file type" section.
  5. Click on the current default mail app (e.g., Microsoft Outlook) and then click on "Microsoft Store" or "Other" to select a different app.
  6. Choose the new default mail app from the list of available apps.

Method 2: Using the Control Panel

  1. Go to the Start menu and type "Control Panel" in the search bar.
  2. Click on "Control Panel" to open it.
  3. Click on "Programs" (or "Programs and Features" in some versions of Windows 10).
  4. Click on "Default Programs" (or "Set your default programs" in some versions of Windows 10).
  5. Click on "Associate a file type or protocol with a program" (or "Set default programs" in some versions of Windows 10).
  6. Scroll down to the "Email" section and click on the current default mail app (e.g., Microsoft Outlook).
  7. Click on "Change program" and select a different app from the list of available apps.

Method 3: Using the Windows Registry

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto
  4. Right-click on the "mailto" key and select "Modify".
  5. Change the value of the "Default" key to the path of the new default mail app (e.g., C:\Program Files\Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe).
  6. Close the Registry Editor.

Note: Changing the default mail app using the Registry Editor requires advanced knowledge of the Windows Registry and can potentially cause system instability if not done correctly. It's recommended to use the first two methods instead.

After changing the default mail app, you may need to restart your computer or log out and log back in for the changes to take effect.