Microsoft Outlook is a popular email tool that lets you manage emails, calendars, and contacts smoothly. But, it usually opens web links and attachments in its own browser, Microsoft Edge. This might not be what you want if you like Google Chrome better. Don’t worry, you can change it so that Outlook opens everything in Chrome instead. This guide will show you how to do this on Windows 11 or Windows 10.
Also see: How to Set Default Email Client (mailto) in Chrome
Page Contents
Why open links in Chrome from Outlook?
Before we start, you might be thinking, why bother opening links in Chrome from Outlook? Google Chrome is fast, secure, and has lots of cool add-ons. If Chrome is already your go-to browser, making Outlook open links in Chrome makes your online time smoother and more connected. Let’s get into how to make this happen.
Useful tip: Changing Windows 11 Start Menu Search to Google instead of Bing
Step 1: Setting Chrome as the default browser
Before we tweak Outlook, let’s make sure Chrome is the boss browser on your Windows.
For Windows 11:
- Hit the Start button, then click on “Settings”.
- Pick “Apps” from the sidebar and head over to “Default apps”.
- Look for “Set defaults for applications” and type “Chrome” in there.
- Click on “Google Chrome” in the search results.
- Make sure .htm, .html, HTTP, and HTTPS are all set to open with Chrome.
- There’s also a quick option at the top to “Set default” next to “Make Google Chrome your default browser”. Click it for an easy setup.
For Windows 10:
- Right-click the Start button and pick “Settings”.
- Go to “Apps” then “Default apps”.
- Under “Web browser”, click your current browser.
- Select “Google Chrome” from the list.
Related resource: How to Remove Edge as Default Browser in Windows 11
Step 2: Configuring Outlook link behavior
Now that Chrome is the default, let’s make sure Outlook knows what’s up.
- Start up Microsoft Outlook.
- Hit “File” at the top left to get to the Outlook backstage view.
- Choose “Options” to open the settings dialog.
- Go to the “Advanced” tab on the left.
- Scroll to find the “File and browser preferences” section.
- Look for the “Open hyperlinks from outlook in:” menu.
- Choose “Default Browser” from the menu. If it was on “Microsoft Edge,” that’s why you had issues.
- Click “OK” to save your changes.
Boom! Now Outlook will use Chrome to open links.
Handy guide: How to Set Gmail as Default Email Client in Windows 11
Step 3: Testing if links in Outlook will open in Chrome
Alright, let’s make sure everything works as expected:
- Close and reopen Outlook: If Outlook was open while you made these changes, close it and open it again. This makes sure the new settings kick in.
- Find an email with a link: Look for an email that has a link in it. This could be in the email body or even a signature.
- Click on the link: Move your mouse over the link. You should see where it’s going to take you at the bottom left of Outlook.
- Verify it opens in Chrome: Click the link. Chrome should pop open and take you to the website.
Setting Outlook to open attachments in Chrome
If you often get email attachments, like PDFs, and want to see them in Chrome, here’s what you do:
- Just like setting Chrome as the default browser, go to “Default apps” in Windows settings.
- Look for “.PDF” in the “Set defaults for applications” area.
- Change the current default app for .PDF to “Google Chrome”.
This change means all PDF attachments you open from Outlook (and other places on your PC) will now open in Chrome.
In case of stubborn links
Sometimes, you might hit a link that still opens in Microsoft Edge. This could happen because of how a website is set up or if the link is for a Microsoft product. If this bugs you, look into browser extensions or other software that can make all links open in Chrome or your preferred browser. Just be sure to use safe and trusted tools to keep your browsing secure.
Closing words
Microsoft likes to keep its products working together, which sometimes means they use Microsoft tools by default. But, Windows lets you change a bunch of settings. By following the steps above, you can get Outlook to open links and attachments in Chrome, making things work just the way you like.
