You can now change the default mail app on your iPad – here’s how

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The public build of iPadOS 14 should have found its way to your device by now, and one of the coolest new features is the ability to set third-party apps as defaults on your iPad. Yes, that means you can finally stop using Mail, and use an email app that you’re used to, such as Outlook or Gmail.

Sure, you could use third-party email apps before, but it was a pain and everything tried to open in Mail anyways making the whole experience miserable. Now when you want to reply to emails in another client, you can without having to go find the app’s icon. How cool is that?

It’s super simple to set up as well, so let’s get started.

Here’s how to set third-party email apps as default on your iPad

Okay, the first thing you need is another email app, and your iPad updated to iPadOS 14. . We’ve tested Outlook and that works, so does Gmail, Hey also is compatible, as is Spark Mail.

If your email app of choice isn’t one of these three, you can still test to see if it’s compatible with being set as default, if the Default Mail App doesn’t show up, you’ll have to wait until the developer updates the app and gets Apple to approve it.

1. Open the Settings app and scroll down to the email app you want to use
   

   Image: KnowTechie

2. Tap on the app name
3. Tap on Default Mail App and select the app you want to use
   

   Image: KnowTechie

Now every time you open links, they will open in your email client app of choice. The first time you try to use it, you’ll get a notification asking for permission to open links in your mail app of choice. Say OK, and then you won’t have to do it again. That’s a far cry from the convoluted system that Apple had in place before iPadOS 14.

What do you think? Plan on using a different app for mail on your iPad? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Apple has confirmed some nasty iOS 14 bugs for iPhone and Apple Watch users
• New emojis are coming to iPhone with the release of iOS 14.2
• Having camera issues with iOS 14? Here’s how to troubleshoot
• Some of the best iOS 14 home screens that we’ve seen on Twitter

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.