If you are using Google Chrome has your default browser, then you will notice that–clicking on any mailto: links will open either in Gmail.com website or it does nothing. The behaviour what it need to be done when clicking on those special links is termed as protocols, and the programs they use are called handlers.
To edit protocol handlers in your Google chrome browser, just paste chrome://settings/handlers in your address bar and hit enter . By default you’ll notice empty page with no active handler. This means that, when you click on mailto: links it does nothing.
Set Default Protocol Handler:
To Set default protocol handler in your chrome browser, visit any web app or website which support protocol handlers (For ex: Gmail for mailto:, Google Calendar for webcal: ) and you’ll see Protocol handler icon <<>> on right side of your address bar, click that icon to set default handler.
For example purpose, I will show how to set Gmail.com website to handle all mailto: links on your chrome browser.
If you wish to set Gmail.com has your default mailto: protocol handler, then first visit Gmail.com. Have a look on your address bar, you notice some arrow <<>> mark, click on that icon. You’ll see
Allow Gmail (mail.google.com) to open all email links?
Use Gmaiil
No
Ignore
Manage handler settings
Here you choose “Use Gmail” option to open all your email links or mailto: links in Gmail website, and click Done button.
From now onwards all your mailto links on your Google chrome browser will open Gmail website to send mails.
Didn’t get Protocol Handler icon <<>> on your browser?
If you didn’t see any <<>> protocol handler icon on Gmail or any website, then there are the few reasons why it won’t show.
1. You have already set this Protocol handlers entry on your chrome browser. To check this, copy and paste chrome://settings/handlers this in your chrome address bar and hit enter.
2. You might disabled Chrome to suggest or ask default handlers for protocols. To enable this, Visit chrome://settings/content scroll down the page till you see Handlers. Here you will see two options
Allow sites to ask to become default handlers for protocols (recommended)
Do not allow any site to handle protocols
Select first option to get suggestion.
3. The site or web app won’t support handlers.
To Change Protocols Handlers in Chrome Browser:
If you wish to change one protocol handler to another, then visit chrome://settings/handlers and choose the protocol handlers from the dropdown menu and click Done button.
Set Software or Application to Handle Protocols:
I have explained how to set Gmail.com website to handle mailto: links. You can follow the same method to set any other website as default protocol handlers.
But what if, if you need to set software has a default protocols handler? you cannot follow the above guide to achieve it.
For example, If I need to set my Mozilla Thunderbird application has my default mailto: link protocol handler, then above method won’t work. That is, every mailto: link found on Google Chrome browser should open in my Thunderbird software.
Google Chrome: Set to Open all Mailto: links in Thunderbird Application
You can follow this method to set other software has default protocol handler as well.
1. Open your Chrome browser, in address bar enter chrome://settings/handlers and open it.
2. Here in Type look for mailto and set Site to (none) option and click Done.
3. Now open Set Default Programs in Windows O.S. You can find this at
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Default Programs
4. Here you choose Thunderbird from the application list. And in the right side choose, Choose defaults for this program option.
5. In this window have a look on MAILTO option which comes under Protocols, and Check MAILTO checkbox and click Save and OK button.
That’s it. Now all mailto links on your chrome browser will open on Thunderbird application.
The post The Complete Guide to Google Chrome Handlers appeared first on A Shout.
Related posts:
Check, Send Mails Even in OFFLINE with Gmail using Google Chrome Browser
Fix Google Chrome Redirecting to dictionary.html or blank.html
Google Chrome Soon Stop Supporting Extensions Outside Google Store
Now Chrome Allows you to Reset your Browser Settings
Now You Can Access Google Drive Offline