Opera 10: Set Gmail as the Default Email Client

Contributed by shamanstears September 22, 2009  
Tagged: Browsers

If you use Gmail as your primary email client, Opera 10 makes it easy to associate any mailto links that you might encounter to use Gmail as the default email client. All you need to do is make one small modification to one of the .ini files. Instructions are included for both Windows and OS X.

For Windows Users:

1. Open up Windows Explorer and go to C:\Program Files\Opera\defaults.

2. Find the webmailproviders.ini file and open it with Notepad.

3. Go to the bottom of the list and add the following:
[Gmail]
ID=8
URL=https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s
ICON=http://mail.google.com/mail/images/favicon.ico

4. Save the file.

5. Open Opera and go to Preferences.

6. Select Advanced.

7. Select Programs.

8. Select mailto from the Protocol list.

9. Click the Edit button.

10. Select the Use a Web mail service radio button and select Gmail from the dropdown.

11. Click the OK button.

12. Restart Opera.

For OS X Users:

1. Open Finder and select Applications.

2. Right click the Opera icon and select Show Package Contents.

3. Go to Contents\Resources\defaults.

4. Find the webmailproviders.ini file and open it with TextEdit.

5. Go to the bottom of the list and add the following:
[Gmail]
ID=8
URL=https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s
ICON=http://mail.google.com/mail/images/favicon.ico

6. Save the file.

7. Open Opera and go to Preferences.

8. Select Advanced.

9. Select Programs.

10. Select mailto from the Protocol list.

11. Click the Edit button.

12. Select the Use a Web mail service radio button and select Gmail from the dropdown.

11. Click the OK button.

12. Restart Opera.