Change the Default Email App on Android (and What Breaks)

Changing the default email app on Android takes about 30 seconds once you know where the setting lives. The Default apps menu is what you want, and after you change it, most mailto: links — the ones you tap in a browser or a document — will start opening in the new app. But not everything that looks like an email action uses that setting. The share sheet in other apps, calendar integrations, and some manufacturer-specific shortcuts route through separate systems, and those can keep pointing to the old app until you fix them individually.

This guide covers how to change the default email app on Android using the correct path for your phone's software skin, explains which email actions the Default apps setting does and does not govern, and walks through the specific steps to fix each case where the old app persists.

What does the Default apps setting actually control?#

Android's Default apps menu tells the operating system which app should open a given type of link or action. The Email app entry specifically controls what happens when something triggers a mailto: link — a web page with a clickable email address, or a link formatted as mailto:[email protected] in a browser or third-party document.

It does not govern every action that involves email. The share sheet — the panel that slides up when you tap Share in a photo app, browser, or document viewer — is populated by the Android intent system, which lists apps based on what they declare they can handle and how recently you have used them. Some Google apps and manufacturer apps also make their own routing choices: Google Calendar's email event feature, for example, may try to open Gmail regardless of your Default apps selection.

Understanding this split saves time. The Default apps fix works cleanly for browser mailto: links and most third-party app links. The share sheet and hardcoded app integrations need different treatment.

Before you start#

Install the new email app and sign into at least one account before you change the default. Android only lists apps in the Default apps menu if they are installed and have declared they can handle email. If the new app is not on your phone yet, it will not appear as an option.

If you are switching away from a manufacturer pre-installed app like Samsung Email, you likely cannot uninstall it, but you can disable it after switching. More importantly, you will need to clear its stored link defaults — that step is covered in the troubleshooting section below.

How to change the default email app on Android#

The steps below cover stock Android as shipped on Pixel and Android One devices. If you are on Samsung, Xiaomi, or OnePlus, the paths differ slightly — see the table in the next section for your skin.

1. 1

   Open Settings

   Pull down from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon, or find Settings in your app drawer.

2. 2

   Tap Apps

   On stock Android this is labeled Apps or Apps & notifications. On some skins it appears as App Management or Application Manager.

3. 3

   Tap Default apps

   Scroll to the bottom of the Apps screen and tap Default apps. On some devices this option is nested inside a three-dot menu in the top right corner of the Apps screen.

4. 4

   Tap Email app

   The entry labeled Email app (or Email application on Samsung) shows the currently selected default. Tap it to see a list of eligible installed apps.

5. 5

   Select the new app

   Tap the app you want. Android saves the selection immediately with no confirm step. Tapping a mailto: link in a browser or supported third-party app will now open the new app.

6. 6

   Test with a mailto: link

   Open Chrome, type mailto:[email protected] in the address bar, and tap Go. The new app should open a compose window. If the old app still appears, continue to the troubleshooting steps below.

Does every Android phone show the same setting?#

The Default apps concept is consistent across Android, but manufacturers move the menu and sometimes add their own logic on top. The table below shows where to find it and what to watch out for on the most common Android skins as of mid-2026.

Why does the old app still open after you changed the setting?#

If you updated the Default apps setting but links still open the old app, one of three things is happening. The old app still has link defaults locked in from when it was first installed or last used as the default — Android stores these per-app and they do not automatically clear when you update the Default apps selection. The link you tapped is coming from a share sheet, not a direct mailto: link, which is a separate system. Or the link originates inside a Google or manufacturer app that routes email actions to its own preferred client.

The first cause is the most common and has a reliable fix: clearing the old app's stored defaults. The other two require either accepting a limitation or adjusting your workflow.

How to clear the old app's defaults#

Run these steps after you have already changed the Default apps selection. Clearing the old app's stored link assignments removes the lock-in and lets the system default take over.

1. 1

   Go to Settings > Apps

   Open the same Apps screen you used to change the default.

2. 2

   Find the old email app

   Tap the old app's name in the list. If it is not immediately visible, tap See all apps or use the search icon at the top of the screen.

3. 3

   Tap Open by default

   On stock Android this option is labeled Open by default. On Samsung it may appear as Set as default inside the app's detail screen. On MIUI the label is also Open by default.

4. 4

   Tap Clear defaults

   This removes any URL patterns or link types the old app had claimed. After clearing, the OS falls back to the new default you already set.

5. 5

   Test again

   Run the mailto: link test in Chrome. If the correct app now opens, the fix worked. If not, restart the phone once and retest — some Android versions cache intent routing until a reboot.

A faster way to manage your Android inbox#

If the real reason you are switching email apps is to get smarter inbox handling — triage, voice drafting, follow-up tracking — it is worth knowing about AI Emaily. We build it. On Android, AI Emaily runs as a PWA (Progressive Web App) that installs to your home screen and works offline for reading and drafting, with push notifications.

Because it is a PWA rather than a native app, it may or may not appear in the Default apps list as a mailto: handler depending on your Android version. What it does regardless is connect to your Gmail, Outlook, or IMAP account and triage your inbox, draft replies using a user-set Context brain rather than training on your mail, and track follow-ups automatically — the intelligence layer that no default-app setting touches. A 7-day free trial (card required, cancel before day 7 and pay nothing) and pricing details are at aiemaily.com/pricing.