Not all emails are important enough to keep in your inbox for instant retrieval at any time. But maybe you’re not ready to delete these emails, either. Most email providers have an archive feature for messages that could be useful for later reference but aren’t very important to you right now.
You can save these emails to the archive folder so they’re still accessible whenever you need them. Archiving is the best way of cleaning up overflowing inboxes without having to delete emails. Like other email providers, Gmail also lets you archive emails. In this article, we’ll explain the best way to do this and how to find your archived emails in Gmail.
How do you find archived emails in Gmail?
Although you can archive emails in Gmail, there’s no dedicated email archive folder in your Gmail account. This might sound confusing, but it’s actually not that complicated. Any emails that you archive in Gmail are automatically moved to the “All Mail” label. This folder contains all mail from your inbox and outbox as well all your drafts. The “All Mail” folder is basically an archive of your entire Gmail account.
Tip
Not happy with Gmail’s features? Some Gmail alternatives might offer better capabilities.
If you’re using the Gmail desktop app
The “All Mail” label is somewhat hidden on your Gmail user interface:
Step 1: Open your Gmail account as usual.
In the side bar on the left, underneath “Inbox,” “Starred,” “Important,” “Sent” and “Drafts,” you’ll see the option “More,” which has an arrow next to it. Click on this arrow.
In the side bar on the left, underneath “Inbox,” “Starred,” “Important,” “Sent” and “Drafts,” you’ll see the option “More,” which has an arrow next to it. Click on this arrow.
Click “More” to display further labels in the folder structure of your Gmail account. Now you can see more labels like “Spam,” “Trash”, “Drafts” and the “All Mail” label.
Step 2: Click “All Mail.”
The “All Mail” label is displayed in the expanded folder structure. Click this label to view archived emails in Gmail.
The “All Mail” label is displayed in the expanded folder structure. Click this label to view archived emails in Gmail.
If you’re using the Gmail Android app
Here’s how to find the “All Mail” label in the Gmail app on your Android device:
Step 1: Open the Gmail app as usual.
Open the folder structure by tapping the three-line menu icon. Now you’ll see all Gmail folders and labels such as “Inbox,” “Spam,” “Trash” and “All Mail.”
Open the folder structure by tapping the three-line menu icon. Now you’ll see all Gmail folders and labels such as “Inbox,” “Spam,” “Trash” and “All Mail.”
Step 2: Tap “All Mail.”
By tapping “All Mail,” you can view all archived messages.
By tapping “All Mail,” you can view all archived messages.
If you’re using the Gmail iPhone app
Although not many people use Gmail on their iPhone, the Google email app is available for download in the Apple App Store. To find archived emails in the Gmail app on your iPhone, proceed as follows:
Step 1: Open the Gmail app as usual.
Tap the three-line menu icon to display the folder structure. Now you’ll see further labels such as “Inbox,” “Spam,” “Trash” and “All Mail.”
Tap the three-line menu icon to display the folder structure. Now you’ll see further labels such as “Inbox,” “Spam,” “Trash” and “All Mail.”
As on other devices, the “All Mail” label is essentially an archive folder on the iPhone.
How do you archive messages in Gmail?
You can easily archive emails on your desktop, Android device, or iPhone. With just a few clicks, you can move messages to the “All Mail” label, and your inbox will be clean and organized again.
“Archiving” with the Gmail desktop app
You archive an email by clicking the filing cabinet icon with the down arrow inside it.
You archive an email by clicking the filing cabinet icon with the down arrow inside it.
You can also right-click the email you want to archive and select “Archive” from the drop-down menu.
You can also right-click the email you want to archive and select “Archive” from the drop-down menu.
“Archiving” with the Gmail Android app
You can archive emails in the Android version of Gmail by swiping the message to the left. As you swipe the message into the archive, you’ll see a green background with the archiving icon behind the message.
You can archive emails in the Android version of Gmail by swiping the message to the left. As you swipe the message into the archive, you’ll see a green background with the archiving icon behind the message.
“Archiving” with the Gmail iPhone app
You can also simply swipe a message into the archive in the Gmail iPhone app.
You can also simply swipe a message into the archive in the Gmail iPhone app.
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