How to Make Yahoo Your Default Email Program in Windows

It's easy to make all email links open in Yahoo Mail

Paper envelopes protruding from laptop screen; mailbox flag up
pixhook / Getty Images
by Heinz Tschabitscher
An independent writer who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
Updated November 12, 2018

If Yahoo Mail is your primary or favorite email service, you can set it up as the default one you use for opening email links. That way, when you click an email link like "contact us," or an email address like example@mail.com, you'll be directed to your Yahoo account automatically.

To set Yahoo Mail as the default email on your Windows computer, you need to first set up an email client to access your Yahoo Mail account. Once the email program is allowed to download your messages and send emails through your account, you can tell Windows to make it your default email program.

Set Up Yahoo Mail in Your Email Program

Before configuring Yahoo as the default email service on your computer, you need to set up the account in a Windows-compatible email program.

This example shows how to set up Yahoo Mail in Windows 10 using the Mail app. If you're using Windows 8 or an older version of Windows, a different email program can be used, and while the exact steps below won't work to set up Yahoo Mail, they will be somewhat similar in your program.

Yahoo had provided a Yahoo Mail app for Windows but stopped supporting it in 2017 before finally discontinuing it in 2018.

  1. Click the settings gear icon on the bottom left-hand side of Mail.

  2. Click Manage accounts on the right side.

    Screenshot of the Windows 10 mail settings
    Jon Fisher 

  3. Click Add account.

    Screenshot of the Add account option in Windows 10 Mail
    Jon Fisher 

  4. Click Yahoo! from the list.

    Screenshot of the list of accounts you can add to Mail in Windows 10
    Jon Fisher

  5. Follow the on-screen prompts to sign in to Yahoo Mail; you need to enter your username and password.

    Screenshot of the sign in prompt for Yahoo Mail in Windows 10 Mail
    Jon Fisher

  6. Click Agree to give the program access to your Yahoo account.

    Screenshot of the Yahoo permissions page during signup in Windows 10 Mail
    Jon Fisher

  7. Click Yes when asked if Windows should remember your Yahoo Mail password.

Change the Default Email Program in Windows

Now that Yahoo Mail is configured in your email program, you need to tell Windows that Yahoo Mail should be your default email app. The steps for doing so are different in every version of Windows, so pay close attention to all the text boxes below.

  1. The quickest way to get to Control Panel in any version of Windows is through the Run dialog box; enter the control command via the WIN+R keyboard shortcut.

  2. Click Programs, or skip this step if you don't see that option.

    Screenshot of the Programs option in the Windows 10 Control Panel
    Jon Fisher 

  3. Click Default Programs.

    Screenshot of the Default Programs link in the Windows 10 Control Panel
    Jon Fisher 

  4. Click Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

    Screenshot of the Windows 10 option to change a file type or protocol program
    Jon Fisher 

  5. In Windows 10, click the icon under Email.

    in Windows 8 and Windows 7, select MAILTO from the list and click Change program.

    The quickest way to find this option in the list is to click one of the entries and then hit the M key on your keyboard.

    Screenshot showing how to change a default program in Windows 8
    Jon Fisher 

  6. Select the email program that's using Yahoo Mail.

You can also make Yahoo your default email option in Firefox for clicking online email links. To do that, click the menu, go to Options, scroll down to Applications, click mailto, and choose Use Yahoo! Mail from the drop-down menu.