HT201607: Set the default email app and web browser on your Mac

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williamisted

Q: Change default Mail client without first adding account

Does anyone know of anyway of changing default Mail client without first adding an account to Mail? As the 'Preferences' option is disabled.

 

Ideally looking for a native approach, but will use a lightweight app if that's the only choice.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Dec 4, 2015 2:57 AM

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Q: Change default Mail client without first adding account

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  • by Kenneth Cohen1,Apple recommended

    Kenneth Cohen1 Kenneth Cohen1 Dec 16, 2015 8:06 AM in response to williamisted
    Level 1 (74 points)
    Dec 16, 2015 8:06 AM in response to williamisted

    Hi. The only way to do this that I know of is in Mail > Preferences > General > Default email reader.

     

    The preferences option may be disabled because you haven't set up an account in Mail yet. You would do that in System Preferences > Internet.

     

    If you don't want to use mail and don't want to set up an account with your email address, you could create a google or yahoo account for this purpose only, and use it. Then select preferences and change the default email reader. Then disable the account you just created.

     

    The only other mail app I've used regularly is Postbox, which worked well for me. The only reason I went back to Apple Mail was that my project management software has a Mail plug-in for associating each mail item with a file I'm working on. Postbox to my knowledge does not allow plug-ins.