Gmail Now Able to Be Set as Default Mail App on iPhone and iPad in iOS 14 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Gmail Now Able to Be Set as Default Mail App on iPhone and iPad in iOS 14

Apple in iOS and iPadOS 14 is allowing third-party apps to be set as alternatives to the default browser apps on the iPhone and the iPad, and now one of the most popular third-party email apps, Gmail, can be set as the default email app on your iOS devices.

gmaildefaultmailapp
With the latest Gmail for iOS update available in the App Store as of today, Gmail can serve as a replacement for the Mail app.

You can set Gmail as the default email app on your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ by downloading it from the ‌App Store‌, opening up the Settings app, scrolling down to Gmail in the apps list and then tapping on Default Mail App.

Google previously updated Chrome with the default browser function so it can be set to replace Safari on the iPhone and ‌iPad‌. Those who prefer Google's apps can now have a mostly Google-centric experience on the iPhone, at least when it comes to browser and email.

It's worth noting that there is currently a bug that resets the default apps that have been set to replace Safari and Mail every time a device is rebooted, so Gmail may have to be updated as the default email app whenever you restart your iPhone until Apple fixes the issue.

Tag: Gmail

Popular Stories

WWDC26 MR Live Coverage Article

WWDC 2026 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 27, Revamped Siri, and More

Monday June 8, 2026 9:15 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements today, headlined by a reset on Apple's push into AI that should see a significant overhaul...
macOS Golden Gate Mac

Apple Announces macOS 27 Golden Gate With New Siri and 'Tons' of Refinements

Monday June 8, 2026 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today announced that macOS 27 is named macOS Golden Gate. Much like Mac OS X Snow Leopard in 2009, Apple said it focused on improving macOS's performance and dozens of underlying technologies this year. Apple says macOS Golden Gate offers quicker AirDrop transfers, faster network file browsing, improved syncing in the Messages app, better Spotlight search suggestions, and other...
CarPlay Siri AI

Apple Announces New CarPlay Features on iOS 27, Including Video Apps

Monday June 8, 2026 4:17 pm PDT by
Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, but we did not hear many specific details about this functionality until now. In a WWDC 2026 video aimed at developers, Apple said the CarPlay video feature is available in new vehicles that support it. When playing a video in an iPhone app...

Top Rated Comments

75 months ago
oh when it comes to becoming a default app, Google implements it in a hot second...but when it comes to other iOS features, Google drags its feet.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
75 months ago

oh when it comes to becoming a default app, Google implements it in a hot second...but when it comes to other iOS features, Google drags its feet.
They were also quick on blocking Picture in Picture for YouTube.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattkally Avatar
75 months ago
Until you restart it ;p
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
decypher44 Avatar
75 months ago

Remembered why I stopped you the Gmail app as soon as I set up. The ads are terrible, and no idea how to get rid of them. I can live with the Mail app not having push notifications for my gmail accounts just to avoid the ads
Ads? I have been using gmail and the iOS app for a long time. I had to check again to be sure. I don’t see any ads. Where would I find them in the app?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
75 months ago
For real.. how long again did it take them to implement dark mode? Lol
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
75 months ago
Now how about changing the default music app?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)