Making Outlook 2016 the Default Mail app on Mac

On newer versions of Mac OS it will force the local apple mail app to be the default mail application on the computer.  Result:

  • Sending an email invite from within applications such as zoom will try to open the apple mail
  • clicking on "mail to" links on the Internet will point to apple mail

Resolution: 

  • The preference must be changed inside of apple mail application.  However preferences is greyed out in the preferences until an account is created.
  • Select any email account (such as the users personal gmail, IT's dummy email account, etc.) and do a quick setup in the apple mail application
  • Once it is setup with the apple mail open go to preferences and under general change the default email program to Microsoft Outlook
  • Restart apple Mail app
  • If the email used to setup apple mail is not the users account or the user does not want to use apple mail click on Mail>accounts> and remove the account you just added;  
    • Make sure, if they have apple ID setup, that you choose to remove it from all the apple linked devices, not just that single computer

The computer should now point to their outlook account when trying to "mail to" from a secondary app (such as inviting someone from an active zoom meeting)

 

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