How to change the default email app on your iPad, so all your email goes through your app of choice
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- To change the default email app on your iPad, you'll need to be running iPadOS 14 or higher, and head to your Settings app.
- Once you find a compatible email app in the App Store, you can use the "Default Mail App" option in your iPad's Settings to change it.
- If you want to switch back to the default Apple Mail app, you can do that at any time using the same process.
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While the iPad's default Mail app works for most users, and supports most email services, iPad users have long desired the ability to change what email app their tablet uses by default.
Here's the good news: Starting with the release of iPadOS 14, Apple now allows certain third-party mail clients (currently, Gmail and Outlook) to become the default mail app.
If you tap a link or button that requires the iPad to open an email app, your iPad can now open your preferred app. Of course, that app needs to already be installed on your iPad, so install it and set it up with your mail accounts before you begin.
Again, the two third-party apps that are currently allowed as default mail apps are Gmail and Outlook. More will surely be added in the future, though, so be sure to check back if your favorite email app isn't supported yet.
How to change the default email app on your iPad
Before anything, make sure you've updated to iOS 14.
1. Start the Settings app.
2. Scroll down the long list of apps in the pane on the left until you find a third-party mail app like Outlook or Gmail. Tap it.
3. In the app details on the right, tap "Default Mail App."
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4. Tap the email app you want to use as your default. If you don't see this option, you've selected a mail app that Apple doesn't yet support. You can't make AOL Mail or Yahoo Mail your default mail client, for example, so you won't see the option to set a default in their settings.
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That's all you need to do — the selected app is now your default email app on the iPad. If you ever want to switch back to Mail, follow the same steps and choose Mail from the Default Mail App menu.
If you can't change your default email app
In order to change your default, your iPad needs to be running iPadOS 14. Check your iPadOS version by starting the Settings app and tapping "General," then "Software Update." Update your iPad if needed.
If you're trying to choose an app you know is supported by iPadOS 14, like Gmail or Outlook, and the option doesn't appear, uninstall the app and then reinstall it. That should resolve the problem. For help with how to do that, see our article "How to delete apps on an iPad."
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