The Annoying Link Hijack
Apple macOS features deep integration between its built-in applications. One example is the system-wide “Data Detectors.” If you receive an email in the Mail app, or a message in iMessage, that contains a physical street address, macOS will automatically underline it, turning it into a clickable link.
By default, clicking this link will immediately launch the native Apple Maps application. For users who strictly prefer using Google Maps in their web browser (for better traffic data, saved locations, or personal preference), having the system forcefully launch a heavy desktop application they don’t use every time they accidentally click an address is highly disruptive. You can stop macOS from treating addresses as automatic Maps links.
How to Stop Addresses from Opening Maps
You cannot change the default map application in macOS, but you can disable the Data Detector that creates the clickable link in the first place.
- Open the Mail app (or the app where the links are bothering you, though this setting is often managed globally or within Mail).
- If you are in Mail, go to Mail > Settings… (or Preferences) in the top menu bar.
- Click on the Viewing tab.
- Look for a checkbox labelled Enable Data Detectors (or similar wording depending on your exact macOS version).
- Uncheck this box.
Note: If you are using a newer version of macOS where this setting has been moved or removed from Mail, you can bypass the behavior by simply highlighting the address text, right-clicking (or Control-clicking) it, and selecting “Copy” instead of left-clicking the link. You can then paste the address directly into Google Maps in your browser.
By disabling Data Detectors, macOS will treat addresses as plain, normal text, preventing the Apple Maps application from ever launching against your will.