External link clicks not working after 1.21.0 update

Bug Reports
1

Description

External links which invoke the browser (in my case Chrome) don’t open the link. I see a viewport shift, but the browser never opens. Was working fine before the 1.21.0 update. Happens across multiple email accounts. Opening links which open the App Store work.

To Reproduce…

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

  1. Click on an email from the list

  2. Click on an external link

  3. You’ll see the focus shift away from Mailspring to Chrome

  4. But link doesn’t open

Expected Behavior

The link should open in Chrome.

Screenshots

Setup

MacOS: 26.3.1 Mailspring: 1.21.0 (downloaded from the Mailspring website)

  • OS and Version:
    • Installation Method:
  • Mailspring Version:

Additional Context

I click on external links daily, it was working immediately before the update, after the update it no longer works as expected.

2

The v1.21.0 security update tightened restrictions on file:// URIs in email content — standard http:// and https:// links are not affected by that change. A few things to try:

  1. Check your macOS default browser: Go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Default web browser and confirm Chrome is selected. If no default is set, shell.openExternal can fail silently on macOS.

  2. Check the developer console: In Mailspring, go to Developer > Toggle Developer Tools > Console tab, then click a failing link. If an error appears, please paste it here.

  3. Try right-clicking a link: Does “Open Link” in the context menu work?

  4. Try a fresh install: Download v1.21.1 directly from getmailspring.com (rather than in-app update) — some macOS security entitlements can get confused after in-place updates.

Any additional details (do all HTTP links fail, or specific ones? Does it work in a new email?) would help narrow this down.