This article explains how to set up Yahoo Mail as your default email program on  Windows 10, 8, and 7.

What to Know

  • To set up Yahoo Mail in Windows 10 Mail, go to Settings > Manage accounts > Add account > Yahoo and complete the setup.To change the default, go to Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs > Email, then choose the email program using Yahoo Mail.

Set Up Yahoo Mail in Your Email Program

To set Yahoo Mail as the default email on your Windows computer, set up an email client to access your Yahoo Mail account first. 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.

  • Open Mail and select the Settings gear icon in the lower-left corner.
  • Select Manage accounts on the right side.
  • Select Add account.
  • Select Yahoo from the list.
  • Follow the on-screen prompts to sign in to Yahoo Mail. You need to enter your username and password.
  • Select Agree to give the program access to your Yahoo account.
  • Select Yes when asked if Windows should remember your Yahoo Mail password.
  • Select Done to close.

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.

On Windows 8 or an older version of Windows, a different email program can be used. While the exact steps below won’t work to set up Yahoo Mail, they will be somewhat similar in your program.

Open Mail and select the Settings gear icon in the lower-left corner.

Select Manage accounts on the right side.

Select Add account.

Select Yahoo from the list.

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

Select Agree to give the program access to your Yahoo account.

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

Select Done to close.

  • Open Control Panel. 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.
  • Select Programs, or skip this step if you don’t see that option.
  • Select Default Programs.
  • Select Associate a file type or protocol with a program.
  • In Windows 10, select the icon under Email. In Windows 8 and Windows 7, select MAILTO from the list and select Change program.
  • The quickest way to find this option in the list is to select one of the entries and then press the M key on the keyboard.
  • Select the email program that’s using Yahoo Mail.

Open Control Panel. 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.

Select Programs, or skip this step if you don’t see that option.

Select Default Programs.

Select Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

In Windows 10, select the icon under Email. In Windows 8 and Windows 7, select MAILTO from the list and select Change program.

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

Select the email program that’s using Yahoo Mail.

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

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